Taiwan Retail Sales Growth Slows in March

Retail sales in Taiwan rose by 3.2% year-on-year in March 2026, slowing from a 7.7% gain in February. Growth remained positive across most categories but at a noticeably softer pace, led by general merchandise stores (4.6% vs 22.9% in February), food, beverages and tobacco (4.8% vs 20.1%), and textiles and clothing (1.2% vs 27.3%). Sales also grew at a softer pace in household appliances and goods (5.7% vs 13.6%) and pharmaceutical and medical goods (5.8% vs 9.6%). Meanwhile, sales of information and communications equipment accelerated (12.4% vs 5.9%), while trade returned to growth for fuel and related products (2.7% vs -8.6%), and construction materials (0.9% vs -7.2%). Motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts (-4.4% vs -25.4%) remained in contraction, though the decline was less severe. Other retail sales (11.6% vs 23.0%), e-commerce (9.5% vs 1.3%), and non-store retail (6.3% vs 0.1%) continued to expand. On a monthly basis, retail sales rose by 5.9%.

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.