TOKYO, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Japan's retail sales fell 1.4 percent in October, the government reported Monday.
It marked the third consecutive month of year-on-year decline in sales, largely due to a sharp drop in sales of automobiles, the economy ministry said.
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The fall in sales was sharper than analysts' estimates, particularly as in September, retail sales dipped only 0.3 percent.
Some economists fear that the latest data shows that Japan's economic recovery is still not as strong as many government officials had been saying.