Retail sales in Japan rose by 2.4 percent year-on-year in July 2021, above market expectations of 2.1 percent and after a 0.1 percent in the prior month. This was the fifth straight month of growth in retail trade, as consumption strengthening amid an acceleration in COVID-19 vaccinations. Sales growth quickened for both food & beverages (2.5 percent vs 0.7), fuel (27.7 percent vs 26.1 percent); while there was a rebound in sales of both general merchandise (1 percent vs -3.9 percent); and fabrics, apparel & accessories (2.9 percent vs -11.9 percent). At the same time, sales fell at a slower rate for both machinery & equipment (-2.6 percent vs -15.1 percent); and others (-4.6 percent vs -7.2 percent). By contrast, sales slowed for both motor vehicles (3.1 percent vs 12.2 percent); and medicine & toiletry (0.6 percent vs 0.8 percent). On a monthly basis, retail sales gained 1.1 percent in July, after a 3.1 percent increase in June. source: Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry (METI)

Retail Sales YoY in Japan averaged 4.32 percent from 1971 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 36.50 percent in January of 1979 and a record low of -14.30 percent in March of 1998. This page provides the latest reported value for - Japan Retail Sales YoY - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Japan Retail Sales - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2021.

Retail Sales YoY in Japan is expected to be 10.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Japan Retail Sales is projected to trend around 1.40 percent in 2022, according to our econometric models.

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Japan Retail Sales

Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
2.40 0.10 36.50 -14.30 1971 - 2021 percent Monthly


Calendar GMT Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2021-05-30 11:50 PM Apr 12% 5.2% 15.3% 12.3%
2021-06-28 11:50 PM May 8.2% 11.9% 7.9% 8%
2021-07-29 11:50 PM Jun 0.1% 8.3% 0.2% 0.3%
2021-08-29 11:50 PM Jul 2.4% 0.1% 2.1% 2%
2021-09-29 11:50 PM Aug 2.4%
2021-10-28 11:50 PM Sep
2021-11-27 11:50 PM Oct
2021-12-26 11:50 PM Nov
Go to our Calendar for more events. Or learn more about the Calendar API for direct access.


News Stream
Japan Retail Sales Rise More than Expected
Retail sales in Japan rose by 2.4 percent year-on-year in July 2021, above market expectations of 2.1 percent and after a 0.1 percent in the prior month. This was the fifth straight month of growth in retail trade, as consumption strengthening amid an acceleration in COVID-19 vaccinations. Sales growth quickened for both food & beverages (2.5 percent vs 0.7), fuel (27.7 percent vs 26.1 percent); while there was a rebound in sales of both general merchandise (1 percent vs -3.9 percent); and fabrics, apparel & accessories (2.9 percent vs -11.9 percent). At the same time, sales fell at a slower rate for both machinery & equipment (-2.6 percent vs -15.1 percent); and others (-4.6 percent vs -7.2 percent). By contrast, sales slowed for both motor vehicles (3.1 percent vs 12.2 percent); and medicine & toiletry (0.6 percent vs 0.8 percent). On a monthly basis, retail sales gained 1.1 percent in July, after a 3.1 percent increase in June.
2021-08-30
Japan Retail Sales Growth Below Forecasts
Retail sales in Japan inched up 0.1 percent year-on-year in June 2021, below market expectations of 0.2 percent and after an upwardly revised 8.3 percent in the prior month. This was the fourth straight month of growth in retail trade but the weakest pace in the sequence, as consumption weakened following the latest surge of local COVID-19 infections. Sales softened for motor vehicles (11.9 percent vs 36.4 percent in May); fuel (25.9 percent vs 34.8 percent); and medicine & toiletry (0.8 percent vs 2.1 percent). In addition, there were declines in sales of general merchandise (-4 percent vs 16.4 percent); fabrics, apparel & accessories (-12 percent vs 16.5 percent); machinery & equipment (-14.7 percent vs 12.6 percent); and others (-7.3 percent vs 0.8 percent). By contrast, sales of food & beverages picked up noticeably (0.9 percent vs flat reading). On a monthly basis, retail sales gained 3.1 percent in June, the most in four months, after a downwardly revised 0.3 percent in May.
2021-07-30
Japan Retail Sales Grow for 3rd Month
Retail sales in Japan rose by 8.2 percent year-on-year in May 2021, compared with market expectations of a 7.9 percent gain and after an 11.9 percent rise a month earlier. This was the third straight month of increase in retail trade, as consumption recovered further in the wake of COVID-19 disruption. There were rises in sales of general merchandise (16.4 percent vs 43.6 percent in April); fabrics, apparel & accessories (16.7 percent vs 63.7 percent); motor vehicles (36.4 percent vs 26.9 percent); machinery & equipment (12.6 percent vs 23.8 percent); fuel (34.4 percent vs 25.2 percent); others (0.6 percent vs 5.5 percent); and medicine & toiletry (2.3 percent vs -1.7 percent). In contrast, sales of food & beverages fell for the sixth month in a row (-0.2 percent vs -0.2 percent). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell by 0.4 percent in May, after falling a revised 4.6 percent in April.
2021-06-29
Japan Retail Sales Rise the Most Since 1997
Retail sales in Japan jumped by 12 percent year-on-year in April 2021, compared with market expectations of a 15.3 percent gain and after a 5.2 percent rise a month earlier. This was the steepest growth in retail trade since March 1997, as consumption accelerated in the wake of COVID-19 disruption. Sales increased much faster for most categories: general merchandise (43.6 percent vs 7.3 percent in March); fabrics, apparel & accessories (63.7 percent vs 13 percent); motor vehicles (27.2 percent vs 11 percent); machinery & equipment (24.2 percent vs 14.9 percent); and fuel (24.9 percent vs 5.8 percent). Meantime, sales of others grew by 5.2 percent, the same as in the prior month. In contrast, sales fell for both food & beverages (-0.2 percent vs -0.5 percent), and medicine & toiletry (-1.6 percent vs 1.9 percent). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell by 4.5 percent in April, after gaining 1.2 percent in March.
2021-05-31

Japan Retail Sales
In Japan, the year-over-year change in Retail sales compares the aggregated sales of retail goods and services during a certain month to the same month a year ago.