AI Data Insight
In September 2026 (Q3 2026), Japan's retail sales were reported at 12,873 billion yen, a 1.37% decline from the previous month's 13,052 billion yen, with the annual growth rate slowing to around 2%, clearly missing the market's estimated 3.3% increase. Affected by high inflation, consumers have shifted to discount channels, and convenience store foot traffic recorded its largest drop since 2021. The overall weak domestic demand may disrupt the Bank of Japan's pace of interest rate hikes at the end of the year.