Retail in Asia

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Japan’s Apr beer shipments at record low

Total shipments of beer and beerlike drinks plunged 11.3 percent in April from a year earlier to 36.23 million cases, marking the first drop in two months and a record low for the month, data from the five major brewers showed Monday.

The drop follows an increase the year before caused by efforts to make up for an inventory shortage caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as weak demand during the cherry blossom-viewing season in early April due to cool weather.