Sales generated by the food and beverage industry last month totaled NT$61.9 billion (US$2.07 billion), up 61.7 percent from a year earlier and the second consecutive month of year-on-year growth, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday.
Huang Wei-jie (黃偉傑), deputy director of the ministry’s Department of Statistics, said that the significant growth was partly the result of a relatively low comparison base in June last year, when on-site dining was not allowed due to a level 3 COVID-19 alert.
Many food and beverage vendors last month intensified efforts to launch promotional campaigns to boost sales, while a gradual decline in domestic COVID-19 cases and an increase in the number of people vaccinated against the disease meant more consumers were willing to dine out, Huang said.
Photo: CNA
Last month, revenue posted by restaurants in Taiwan rose 61.7 percent from a year earlier to NT$51.1 billion, sales generated by beverage shops grew 66.6 percent to NT$8.5 billion, while revenue from catering businesses increased 46.9 percent to NT$2.4 billion, the ministry said.
In the first six months of this year, food and beverage industry sales totaled NT$399 billion, up 10.4 percent from the same period last year, with revenue generated by restaurants, which accounted for about 83.5 percent of the total, hitting NT$333.3 billion, up 9.6 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.
The growth in sales momentum is expected to continue this month, with sales in the food and beverage industry forecast to be between NT$63.2 billion and NT$64.4 billion, up 48.5 to 51.5 percent from a year earlier, Huang said.
Huang said he remained upbeat about domestic demand in the second half of this year, although rising inflation might curb consumer spending.
Last month, retail sales rose 22.5 percent from a year earlier to NT$326.5 billion, a record for the month, ministry data showed.
In addition to a low comparison base last year, the growth was evidence that more consumers were willing to spend, Huang said.
Sales posted by department stores, convenience stores and hypermarkets rose 173.8 percent, 11.4 percent, and 6 percent respectively from a year earlier to NT$24.2 billion, NT$31.5 billion and NT$19.8 billion last month, the data showed.
Bucking the upturn, revenue generated by supermarkets fell 11.1 percent annually to NT$21.2 billion due to a high comparison base in the same month last year, the ministry said.
Online retailers’ sales totaled NT$33.7 billion last month, up 4 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.
In the first half of this year, retail sales rose 6.7 percent annually to about NT$2.04 trillion, it said.
Retail sales for this month are expected to range between NT$338.2 billion and NT$347.3 billion, up 11.3 to 14.3 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.
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