Japan's government pledges to act swiftly if economy slows after tax hike
The government has pledged that it will act swiftly, with steps that could include compiling stimulus measures, if the domestic economy shows signs of a slowdown following the recent consumption tax hike. At a meeting Thursday of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, headed ...
China's 'Golden Week' consumer spending offers weakening economy rare respite
Spending on retail goods and dining during China's week-long National Day holidays returned to growth this year, offering unexpected respite to an economy that has been expanding at its weakest pace in almost three decades. The "Golden Week" break, which started with National Day on ...
Tax hike to heat up battle among Japan's restaurants to keep customers
The consumption tax hike has brought the restaurant industry — already grappling with shortages of labor and rising costs of materials — yet another challenge in keeping customers and attracting new ones. Major restaurant operators have taken various measures out of fear that the tax ...
Companies on average expect domestic consumer prices to rise 0.9 percent in a year's time, a quarterly Bank of Japan survey for September showed Wednesday. The expected rate was unchanged from the previous poll in June, the BOJ said. The average projected inflation rate was 1.0 ...
Despite government steps, Japan's consumption will take a hit from tax hike, analysts say
The move remains unpopular among the public, and only time will tell whether the economy will suffer a deep impact.
U.S. consumer spending slowed sharply in August, according to government data released Friday, suggesting turmoil from President Donald Trump's trade wars is hitting home for the general public. And in another sign trade tribulations are weighing on American industry, demand for big-ticket manufactured goods also ...
Japan convenience store sales rose in August for first time in three months
Japan's convenience store sales rose 0.8 percent in August from a year earlier for the first increase in three months as temperatures helped boost sales of beverages and ice cream, an industry body said Friday. Same-store sales at seven major convenience store operators totaled ¥936.3 ...
Economist expects limited impact from Japan's October tax hike
The impact of the Oct. 1 consumption tax hike from the current 8 percent to 10 percent will be limited as mitigating measures are already in place, according to the chief economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research. "The economy is highly likely to be ...
Japan braces for tax hike chaos under two-tier system as register shortage looms
As the hike in the consumption tax approaches, consumers and businesses are worried about the confusion that might erupt from differing rates for similar goods. To make things worse, businesses may not have enough new cash registers that can handle the two-tiered transactions. While the tax ...
In high-tech Japan, cash remains king, defying mobile payments
Once a pioneer in technologies for cashless transactions, Japan is now lagging the world's biggest economies in the embrace of electronic payments because most of the population still prefers physical money. Four out of five purchases are still made with cash in Japan, despite its ...
Decelerating global growth is testing Japan's efforts toward sustained growth driven by domestic demand.
Japan's economy grew for third consecutive quarter, but pace slows to annualized 1.8%
Consumer spending remains resilient, but the slowdown in exports is taking its toll, the government says.
