Combined sales by Japanese retailers and wholesalers slid 0.7 percent in 2000 from the previous year to 553.17 trillion yen, making it the ninth straight year of decline, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry said Friday.
The ministry said in a preliminary report that wholesaler sales amounted to 420.30 trillion yen last year, down 0.4 percent from 1999, while retail sales totaled 132.87 trillion yen, down 1.7 percent.
Overall sales at large retailers declined 2.1 percent to 22.63 trillion yen in the year.