Japan’s large-scale retail sales growth strengthened notably at the start of 2026, with year-on-year sales rising 3.0% in January. This marks a clear acceleration from December 2025, when the annual increase stood at 1.0%.
The data, updated on 26 February 2026, compare January 2026 sales with those of January a year earlier, while the previous reading compared December 2025 to December a year before. The pickup in the January figure suggests an improvement in activity at major retailers, pointing to firmer consumer demand relative to late 2025 on a year-over-year basis.
Market participants will be watching upcoming releases to see whether this stronger momentum in large-scale retail sales can be sustained and whether it signals a broader, more durable improvement in Japan’s consumption trend.
