Retail, food and beverage sales rise, wholesale falls - 台北時報

By Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporter

Sales in the retail, and food and beverage sectors last month rose 6 and 15.8 percent respectively from a year earlier, while sales in the wholesale sector posted an annual decline for an 11th consecutive month, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

The ministry forecast that retail, and food and beverage sales would continue to grow this month due to anniversary sale events at department stores; seasonal demand for clothing, cosmetics and skin care products; and the effect of the Double Ten National Day holiday.

However, the wholesale sector is likely to experience a sales slump for another month as global economy and trade momentum remains weak, while supply chains continue to adjust inventories, it said.

Photo: Su Meng-chuan, Taipei Times

Last month, the retail sector’s sales were NT$374.7 billion (US$11.58 billion), up 0.3 percent from the previous month, as people spent more during the Mid-Autumn Festival and retailers enhanced anniversary promotions, while purchases of new vehicles remained strong, the ministry said.

In the first nine months of this year, retail sales totaled NT$3.35 trillion, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.

The ministry said it expects retail sales to grow between 4.8 and 7.8 percent annually to between NT$398.9 billion and NT$410.3 billion this month.

Sales in the food and beverage sector reached NT$83.5 billion last month, rising for a 17th straight month on an annual basis, as catering service providers posted a 29.9 percent rise in sales due to robust demand for in-flight meals, while restaurant sales grew 15.8 percent and sales at beverage outlets gained 11.3 percent because of the holiday effect and special sale promotions, the report said.

In the first nine months, food and beverage sales rose 22.6 percent year-on-year to NT$767.2 billion, while sales this month are projected to grow 11.1 to 14.1 percent to between NT$85.4 billion and NT$87.8 billion, it said.

The wholesale sector’s sales last month were NT$1.07 trillion, down 3.8 percent year-on-year, but up 8.3 percent month-on-month, as demand for machinery equipment, building materials and chemical materials remained lackluster, offsetting that for food, beverage and tobacco products, the report said.

Cumulative sales in the sector in the first nine months fell 9.8 percent to NT$9.65 trillion, and sales for this month are estimated to drop by 0.6 to 3.6 percent to between NT$1.03 trillion and NT$1.06 trillion, the ministry said.

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