Japan's spending woes persist as retail sales fall at fastest pace in 17 years

Tokyo

JAPANESE retail sales in March declined at their fastest annual pace in 17 years as consumer spending struggled to pick up a year after a sales-tax increase, keeping alive speculation the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will expand stimulus again later this year.

Retail sales slid 9.7 per cent in March from the same month last year, the Ministry of …