Taiwan Retail Sales Fall to 6-Month Low

Retail sales in Taiwan decreased by 3.4% year-on-year in January 2026, reversing a 0.9% gain in the previous month. This marked the sharpest decline in retail activity since July 2025, as sales dropped for general merchandise (-6.5% vs 0.4% in December 2025) and motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts and accessories (-5.8% vs 10.2%). At the same time, sales fell further for food, beverages, and tobacco (-5.8% vs -2.7%), household appliances and goods in specialized stores (-3.6% vs -2.2%), and fuel and related products (-8.2% vs -7.3%). In contrast, retail activity rose for pharmaceutical and medical goods (0.4% vs -2.7%) and construction materials in specialized stores (6.7% vs 1.6%). Retail trade not in stores or stalls also accelerated (10.3% vs 0.4%), alongside electronic shopping and mail-order houses (13.0% vs 1.9%). On a monthly basis, retail activity dropped 1.7% in January, easing from a 2% decline in the previous month.

Retail sales in Taiwan rose 0.9% year-on-year in December 2025, easing from a 1.6% gain in the previous month. This marked the slowest growth since a decline in September, as sales fell in food, beverages, and tobacco (-2.7% vs 4.0% in November), textiles and clothing (-7.8% vs 4.8%), pharmaceutical and medical goods (-2.6% vs 0.6%), cultural and recreation goods (-1.4% vs 6.0%). Retail activity also moderated in other specialized stores (8.0% vs 14.6%), information and communications equipment and electrical household appliances (4.7% vs 6.9%), and general merchandise stores (0.4% vs 6.7%). Meanwhile, sales rebounded for construction materials (1.6% vs -5.6%), motor vehicles, motorcycles and related parts and accessories (10.2% vs -6.9%), and retail trade not in stores or stalls (0.4% vs -1.0%), while it rose for electronic shopping and mail-order houses (1.9% vs 1.0%). On a monthly basis, retail activity dropped 2% in December, following an eight-month high of 6.7%.

Retail sales in Taiwan rose 1.4% year-on-year in November 2025, easing from a nine-month high of 1.9% in the previous month. Sales growth mostly slowed in food, beverages, and tobacco (3.2% vs 9.5% in October), cultural and recreation goods (4.8% vs 17.6%), electronic shopping and mail-order houses (1.1% vs 3.7%), pharmaceutical and medical goods in specialized stores (0.9% vs 2.0%), and other retail sales in specialized stores (12.2% vs 12.5%). At the same time, sales declined for construction materials (-5.6% vs 0.5%), fuel and related products (-6.6% vs 0.9%), and retail trade not in stores or stalls (-1.0% vs 3.1%). Meanwhile, sales accelerated for general merchandise stores (6.7% vs 3.0%), textiles and clothing in specialized stores (6.7% vs 2.1%), and information and communications equipment and electrical household appliances (5.9% vs 5.6%). On a monthly basis, retail activity increased 6.5% in November, its highest level in eight months, following a 5.6% rise in October.