FX.co ★ Japan Retail Sales Rise More than Expected

Japan’s retail sales rose 1.7% year-on-year in March 2026, rebounding from a downwardly revised 0.1% decline in February and beating market expectations for a 0.8% increase. Stronger sales were recorded in automobiles (9.0%), other retail goods (5.2%), pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (2.8%), department stores (1.4%), machinery and equipment (0.7%), and food and beverages (0.4%). By contrast, sales fell in fuel (-4.1%), clothing and personal goods (-3.3%), and non-store retail (-2.5%). On a month-on-month basis, retail trade grew 1.3%, recovering from a 2.0% drop in February.