Retail sales in Japan increased 2.7% year-on-year in August 2026, below market expectations for a 3.3% rise and slowing from a downwardly revised 3.7% growth in the previous month. It was the sixth consecutive month of growth in retail activity, helped by government measures to ease cost-of-living pressures. The increase was mainly boosted by a 17.7% surge in motor vehicle sales. Sales also increased in other retail goods (5.2%), non-store retail (3.0%), department stores (1.3%), and pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (0.3%). By contrast, sales fell for clothing and personal goods (-6.1%), machinery and equipment (-2.3%), food and beverages (1.0%), and fuel (-0.6%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 1.2% in August, reversing a downwardly revised 2.1% rise in July. source: Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry (METI)

Retail Sales in Japan increased 2.70 percent in August of 2026 over the same month in the previous year. Retail Sales YoY in Japan averaged 4.17 percent from 1971 until 2026, 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 October of 2026.

Retail Sales in Japan increased 2.70 percent in August of 2026 over the same month in the previous year. Retail Sales YoY in Japan is expected to be 5.80 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 1.80 percent in 2027 and 2.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-08-30 11:50 PM
Retail Sales YoY
Jul 4% 0.6% 3% 1.0%
2026-09-29 11:50 PM
Retail Sales YoY
Aug 2.7% 3.7% 3.3% 3.5%
2026-10-30 11:50 PM
Retail Sales YoY
Sep 2.7% 5.8%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bank Lending Rate 3.25 3.15 percent Aug 2026
Consumer Confidence 35.40 35.50 points Sep 2026
Consumer Credit 649320.00 621564.00 JPY Billion Jun 2026
GDP Private Consumption 310766.30 310743.10 JPY Billion Jun 2026
Disposable Personal Income 554.38 810.64 JPY Thousand Jul 2026
Gasoline Prices 1.08 1.07 USD/Liter Sep 2026
Household Spending YoY -3.60 -3.30 percent Jul 2026
Household Spending MoM 0.50 -6.40 percent Jul 2026
Households Debt to GDP 60.80 60.80 percent of GDP Mar 2026
Personal Savings -5.90 4.20 percent Mar 2026
Retail Sales MoM -1.20 2.10 percent Aug 2026
Retail Sales YoY 2.70 3.70 percent Aug 2026


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.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
2.70 3.70 36.50 -14.30 1971 - 2026 percent Monthly
Current Prices, NSA

News Stream
Japan Retail Sales Growth Below Forecasts
Retail sales in Japan increased 2.7% year-on-year in August 2026, below market expectations for a 3.3% rise and slowing from a downwardly revised 3.7% growth in the previous month. It was the sixth consecutive month of growth in retail activity, helped by government measures to ease cost-of-living pressures. The increase was mainly boosted by a 17.7% surge in motor vehicle sales. Sales also increased in other retail goods (5.2%), non-store retail (3.0%), department stores (1.3%), and pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (0.3%). By contrast, sales fell for clothing and personal goods (-6.1%), machinery and equipment (-2.3%), food and beverages (1.0%), and fuel (-0.6%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 1.2% in August, reversing a downwardly revised 2.1% rise in July.
2026-09-29
Japan Retail Sales Growth Tops Forecasts
Retail sales in Japan grew by 4% year-on-year in July 2026, exceeding market expectations for a 3% rise and accelerating from an upwardly revised 0.6% gain in the previous month. The latest reading also marked the fourth consecutive month of growth in retail activity, largely driven by a 16.2% surge (vs 16.3% in June) in sales for motor vehicles. At the same time, sales rebounded for machinery and equipment (6.3% vs -1.9%), general merchandise (3.1% vs -1.1%), medicine and toiletry stores (1.6% vs -0.1%), and food and beverages (1.1% vs -0.5%). In contrast, turnover declined only for fabrics apparel and accessories (-6.6% vs -14.4%). On a monthly basis, retail sales rose by 2.4% in July, recovering from a downwardly revised 3.9% decline in June, which was the steepest drop since April 2021.
2026-08-31
Japan Retail Sales Growth at 4-Month Low
Retail sales in Japan rose 0.5% year-on-year in June 2026, slowing sharply from a downwardly revised 5.0% increase in the previous month and missing market expectations of 3.1%. While marking the fourth consecutive month of growth, the latest result was the softest gain in retail trade since February, suggesting consumer spending lost momentum amid persistent inflation and cautious household expenditures. Sales were only higher for automobiles (16.6%) and clothing and personal goods (14.8%). On the other hand, turnover declined for fuel (-3.3%), machinery and equipment (-1.7%), department stores (-1.1%), other retail goods (-0.7%), food and beverages (-0.5%), non-store retail (-0.4%), and pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (-0.2%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 4.1%, the first monthly decline in four months, reversing a downwardly revised 1.7% rise in May and signaling the steepest drop since April 2021.
2026-07-30