Stagnant spending drives Japan's retailers to shop for growth abroad

Tokyo

STAGNANT spending and soft wage growth in Japan are forcing two of Asia's biggest retailers - Fast Retailing Co and Seven & i Holdings Co - to court overseas consumers to drive long-term growth.

Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo chain, and convenience-store giant Seven & i were due to report earnings results on Thursday amid a Japanese economy that is still posing challenges even as it expands.