MNI DATA IMPACT: Japan March Retail Sales Up 1.0% Y/Y, 3M High

     TOKYO (MNI) - Japan's retail sales increased 1.0% y/y in March according to

preliminary data released Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

(METI). The result marked the fastest growth for the first three months of the

year.

     Here are the key points from the latest retail sales data:

     --Retail sales rose 1.0% year-on-year in March, quicker than February's

0.6% increase and beating an MNI forecast of 0.8 % y/y. This is the strongest

growth for the first three months of the year.  

     --Fuel sales grew 1.6% y/y in March, reversing the 1.2% fall in February. 

     --Sales of food and beverages also increased 1.6% after last month's 0.6%

fall. Sales of fabric apparels and accessories rose 0.8% in March, up from 0.3%

in February.

     --Retail sales rose 0.2% m/m in March, the second rise in three months

although slower than last month's 0.4% increase.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; tel: +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: flora.guo@marketnews.com

--MNI Sydney Bureau; +61 405322399; email: lachlan.colquhoun.ext@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$J$$$,M$U$$$]