Taiwan Retail Sales Growth Eases in August

Taiwan’s retail sales increased 6.5% year-on-year in August 2026, easing from an upwardly revised 7.8% rise in July. Growth slowed in fuel and related products (6.5% vs 12.9% in July), motor vehicles, motorcycles and related parts and accessories (5.8% vs 12.6%), pharmaceutical and medical goods and cosmetics (4.5% vs 7.5%), general merchandise stores (6.4% vs 7.1%), information and communications equipment (10.9% vs 13.3%), cultural and recreation goods (1.6% vs 4.4%) and textiles and clothing (1.6% vs 3.8%). Meanwhile, sales strengthened in food, beverages and tobacco (13.1% vs 6.5%), construction materials (12.7% vs 8.0%), electronic shopping and mail-order houses (8.5% vs 5.5%), household appliances and goods (5.5% vs 6.0%) and retail trade not in stores or stalls (5.3% vs 1.8%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 0.5%, following a 0.6% decline in July.

Taiwan’s retail sales increased 7.7% year-on-year in July 2026, easing slightly from an 8% rise in June. Growth slowed for retail trade not in stores or stalls (2.5% vs 5.6%) and electronic shopping and mail-order houses (5.9% vs 7.3%). Sales of motor vehicles, motorcycles and related parts and accessories in specialized stores also eased to 12.6% from 19.1%. Meanwhile, sales strengthened across several specialized-store categories, including fuel and related products (12.2% vs 12%), food, beverages and tobacco (4.9% vs 4.4%), household appliances and goods (6.9% vs 4.7%), pharmaceutical and medical goods and cosmetics (7.6% vs 2.6%), cultural and recreation goods (5% vs 4.2%) and construction materials (6.8% vs 5%). General merchandise store sales also accelerated to 6.9% from 5.2%. On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 0.7%, reversing a 1.1% increase in June.

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.