Taiwan's commercial sales in January up 7.7 percent

Commercial business sales are comprised of revenue posted by the retail, wholesale and restaurant sectors.

The MOEA cited statistics showing that sales recorded by local businesses last month gained 12.6 percent from a year earlier and also rose 1.3 percent from a month earlier to NT$848.4 billion.

Last month, the local wholesale sector was largely boosted by rising sales of smartphones, tablet computers, and food and beverages, the ministry said.

However, sales in the retail and restaurant segments for the same month fell 1.8 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively, from a year earlier to NT$331.9 billion and NT$32.5 billion, the ministry added.

In January, sales generated by department stores and hypermarkets fell 22.1 percent from a year earlier, the steepest fall in the retail business, as consumers put their purchasing plans on hold until February, when the Lunar New Year holiday fell, the ministry said.

However, retail sales posted by online shops in January rose 16.8 percent from a year earlier, while sales of cars and motorcycles gained 9.6 percent year-on-year as many consumers tended to replace their vehicles ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

In addition, with the number of foreign visitors increasing, sales of duty-free shops gained 2 percent from a year earlier, according to the statistics.

The year-on-year 6.7 percent decline in restaurant sales reflected a high comparison base against the same period of last year. The Lunar New Year holiday fell in January last year, which boosted dining-out interest at that time.

Yang Kuei-hsien, deputy director of the MOEA's department of statistics, said that as the Lunar New Year holiday this year ended Feb. 18, private consumption could be compromised accordingly, and it is possible that commercial sales for the whole of February are likely to be down from last month.

But the silver lining is that with the local economy on the way to recovery, sales in the commercial sector are expected to get a boost this month, Yang said.

For the first two months of this year, Yang added, commercial sales are expected to rise aboutNike Air Max 90 Womens Grey