Shopping lifts Japan growth
JAPAN’S economy picked up sharply in the first quarter, growing by 1.5 per cent in the three-month period.
Part of the boost came from a shopping spree as consumers raced to beat the three percentage point hike in VAT in April.
“The worry is this spike will induce a hangover in the second quarter, as consumers hold back to compensate for their additional spending,” said Katie Evans from the Centre for Economics and Business Research.