Taiwan Retail Sales Growth Hits 2-Year High

Retail sales in Taiwan jumped by 7.7% year-on-year in February 2026, rebounding from a 3.4% drop in January. This was the strongest growth since February 2024, driven by a sharp rebound in sales of general merchandise (22.9% vs -6.4% in January), textiles and clothing (27.3% vs -8.8%), food, beverages, and tobacco (20.1% vs -4.2%), household appliances and goods (13.6% vs -1.8%), and cultural and recreation goods (13.8% vs -2.4%). Sales also continued to rise for pharmaceutical, medical goods, and cosmetics (9.6% vs 0.7%) and information and communications equipment and electrical household appliance (5.9% vs 5.0%). Conversely, growth decelerated for trade not in stores or stalls (0.1% vs 9.9%) and e-shop and mail order houses (1.3% vs 12.6%), while sales of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts (-25.4% vs. -6.7%) and fuel and related products (-8.6% vs. -8.2%) fell more sharply. Monthly, retail sales declined by 11.0%, deepening from a 1.7% fall in January.

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%.