Retail sales rose in March as households paid more for gasoline and food, leaving them less to spend on clothing and furniture, government statistics showed Monday.
Sales climbed 1.1 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The median estimate of 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 1 percent increase.
Consumer confidence is near a five-year low as food and fuel prices drive inflation to the highest in a decade. The Bank of Japan lowered its assessment of the economy this month because record oil and raw material costs are squeezing firms and consumers.