Combined sales by Japan's wholesalers and retailers dropped 5.4 percent from a year before in January, marking a 12th consecutive monthly decline, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday.
The combined sales figure stood at 42.95 trillion yen.
Sales by retailers fell 4.7 percent to 10.54 trillion yen, marking a 10th straight monthly decline, while those by wholesalers dropped 5.7 percent to 32.41 trillion yen, logging a 12th straight tumble.