JAPAN DATA: Sales of major department store sales fell in January
from a year earlier, preliminary data released by some major department
stores showed. Sales of Isetan fell 7.2% in January from a year earlier,
compared with -3.9% in December. Those at Daimaru stores dropped 4.1%,
compared with -1.7% in December. Meanwhile, sales of Mitsukoshi surged
8.1% in January, accelerating from +0.5% in December. Combined sales at
all department stores fell 1.5% on year in December, following -0.5% in
November. The October combined sales rose 0.6% in October, the first
rise in 32 months.