Retail sales in Taiwan fell by 3.4% year-on-year in January 2026, reversing a 0.9% increase in December 2025 and marking the steepest decline since July 2025. The downturn was driven by weaker sales of general merchandise (-6.5% vs +0.4% in December) and motor vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts and accessories (-5.8% vs +10.2%).
Further declines were also recorded in several categories: 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%).
By contrast, some segments posted gains. Sales of pharmaceutical and medical goods returned to growth (0.4% vs -2.7%), as did construction materials in specialized stores (6.7% vs 1.6%). Retail trade conducted outside of traditional stores or stalls also strengthened (10.3% vs 0.4%), supported by faster growth in electronic shopping and mail-order houses (13.0% vs 1.9%).
On a month-on-month basis, retail activity declined by 1.7% in January, moderating from a 2.0% drop in the previous month.
