— See Separate Table For Details of Individual Forecasts
TOKYO (MNI) – Japanese real average household spending in January
is expected to have slipped 0.9% from a year earlier on bad weather
conditions, posting the first year-on-year fall in two months after
+0.5% in December and -3.2% in November, according to the median
forecast of analysts surveyed by Market News International.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will release
the data at 0830 JST on Friday, Mar. 2 (2330 GMT Thursday).
Freezing temperatures boosted demand for winter clothing but heavy
snowfalls hampered shopping in some areas and consumer electronics
remained sluggish, leading to weaker household spending, economists
said.
Recent data showed that combined department store sales fell 1.1%
y/y in January after +0.8% in December while domestic shipments of audio
and visual electronic appliances slumped 33.9% on year in January
following -50.5% in December.
skodama@marketnews.com
** Market News International Tokyo Newsroom: 81-3-5403-4838 **
[TOPICS: M$J$$$,M$A$$$,MAJDS$]
