Taiwan Retail Sales Growth Accelerates to Over 2-Year High

Retail sales in Taiwan increased by 8% year-on-year in June 2026, accelerating from an upwardly revised 5.2% rise in May. This was the strongest growth since February 2024, driven by a sharp rebound in sales of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts and accessories (19.1% vs -0.8% in May), as well as faster growth in food, beverages, and tobacco (4.3% vs 1.6%), information and communications equipment and electrical household appliances (6.4% vs 4.7%), and others (10.9% vs 9.8%). Meanwhile, growth slowed in general merchandise (5.2% vs 5.6%), textiles and clothing (3.6% vs 7.4%), fuel and related products (11.9% vs 17.5%), household appliances and goods (4.7% vs 8.2%), pharmaceutical, medical goods and cosmetics (2.6% vs 5.6%), construction materials (5.0% vs 13.7%), cultural and recreational goods (4.2% vs 9.5%), trade not in stores/stalls (5.6% vs 5.9%), and e-shop/mail-order (7.3% vs 8.2%). Monthly, retail sales rose by 1.1%, easing from an upwardly revised 3% gain in May.

Retail sales in Taiwan rose by 4.9% year-on-year in May 2026, easing from a 5.2% increase in April. Growth remained positive across most categories but generally moderated, led by general merchandise stores (5.5% vs 7.2% in April), textiles and clothing (8.1% vs 14.1%), pharmaceutical and medical goods (5.9% vs 6.6%), cultural and recreation goods (9.0% vs 10.6%), information and communications equipment (4.3% vs 11.0%), non-store retail (5.4% vs 5.7%), and e-shop and mail-order houses (8.7% vs 9.1%). Meanwhile, sales of food, beverages and tobacco slipped into contraction (-0.2% vs 3.7%), while sales of motor vehicles, motorcycles and related parts remained negative despite a softer decline (-0.9% vs -4.6%). In contrast, growth accelerated for household appliances (6.0% vs 3.7%), construction materials (10.0% vs 4.7%), fuel and related products (16.9% vs 7.1%), and other retail sales (10.0% vs 6.6%). On a monthly basis, retail sales rose 2.6% in May, reversing a 0.3% decline in April.

Retail sales in Taiwan jumped by 5.2% year-on-year in April 2026, following an upwardly revised 3.3% increase in March. Sales accelerated in general merchandise (7.2% vs 4.2% in March), textiles and clothing (14.1% vs 2.2%), pharmaceutical, medical goods, and cosmetics (6.6% vs 5.5%), cultural and recreation goods (10.6% vs 3.7%), fuel and related products (7.1% vs 1.6%), construction materials (4.7% vs 4.3%), and trade not in stores or stalls (5.7% vs 5.6%), while remaining steady for e-shop and mail-order houses (at 9.1%). Conversely, growth slowed for food, beverages, and tobacco (3.7% vs 5.5%), household appliances and goods (3.7% vs 5.5%), information and communications equipment and electrical household appliances (11.0% vs 13.8%), and other retail sales in specialized stores (6.6% vs 13.4%), while sales of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts fell at a faster pace (-4.6% vs -4.0%). On a monthly basis, retail sales declined by 0.3%, reversing from a 6.0% rise in March.