2026.05.2608:56:29UTC+00Taiwan Retail Sales Growth Picks Up in April

Taiwan’s retail sales rose 5.2% year-on-year in April 2026, accelerating from a revised 3.3% increase in March. Growth strengthened in several categories, including 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 conducted in stores or stalls (5.7% vs 5.6%). Sales at e-shops and mail-order houses were unchanged, maintaining a 9.1% growth rate.

In contrast, growth slowed in 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%). Meanwhile, sales of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts contracted more sharply, falling 4.6% compared with a 4.0% decline in March. On a monthly basis, retail sales slipped 0.3% in April, reversing a 6.0% gain in March.