Economic Buzz: Japan retail sales rise 3.3 percent in April

Japan's retail sales rose 3.3 percent year-on-year in April, up from 3.1 percent in March, marking the 37th straight month of growth and the strongest pace since January. Gains were led by automobiles, clothing, fuel, and cosmetics, while department store sales dropped 5.2 percent. On a monthly basis, sales rebounded 0.5 percent after a 1.2 percent decline in March.

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