Retail sales rose by 0.2% after rising 2.5% in October, said today the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. In annual terms, this index (seasonally adjusted) was 1.7%, higher than economists' forecast of 0.9%. The previous value was revised from -0.1% to -0.2%.

The volume of retail sales - an indicator that assesses the total volume of sales through specialized outlets involved in the sale of goods and related services to the population. Consumer spending - an important indicator of the state of the Japanese economy.

Despite the growth of sales, the Japanese currency fell after the publication of the indicator due to year end flows.