Combined sales by wholesalers and retailers dropped 1.9 percent in July from a year earlier for the sixth consecutive month, the government said Thursday.

Sales by retailers fell 2.7 percent to 11.38 trillion yen, while those by wholesalers dropped 1.6 percent to 32.95 trillion yen, bringing the total decline to 44.33 trillion yen, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a report.

Retail sales were down for the fourth straight month but the ministry maintained its view that they had weakened for only three months because its seasonally adjusted index has been flat since April, a METI official said.

Relatively high summer temperatures in the reporting month increased sales of air conditioners, summer clothing and cold beverages but that did little to boost overall consumption, the official said.

Sales by car dealers rose 5.5 percent and fuel retailers 2.2 percent thanks to new cars launched for summer, and the use of fuel in air conditioners and for leisure activities. Sales of foodstuffs and home appliances continued to decline.

Electric home appliance retailers suffered a 2 percent fall in sales for the fourth consecutive month, with the rise in sales of air conditioners failing to offset falling personal computer sales.

Sales by wholesalers fell for the sixth straight month, with those of electric machines down 1.7 percent, reflecting falling production and shipments by electric and general machinery makers.

Department stores, which posted sales gains in June, the first in 16 months, slumped back into negative territory, falling 1.6 percent to 939.8 billion yen.

Supermarkets continued their long journey south with sales falling for the 39th successive month. In July they fell a further 4.2 percent to 1.127 trillion yen.

Sales by convenience stores slipped 0.7 percent to 652.3 billion yen, after a flat June. Figures looked a bit brighter, however, up 4.7 percent, when results from stores that opened in the year to July were included.