Sales in the retail, and food and beverage sectors last month increased 1.6 percent and 0.7 percent respectively from a year earlier, decelerating from rises of 1.9 percent and 10.5 percent the previous month, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
Wholesale sector sales last month grew by 16.2 percent annually, accelerating from a 4.1 percent increase in March, mainly due to strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies, an increase in non-tech goods exports and inventory restocking ahead of Mother’s Day, the ministry said in a report.
Retail, and food and beverage sales this month would continue to increase year-on-year, benefiting from Mother’s Day promotions, seasonal demand for iced beverages and home appliances, and the launch of new vehicle models, the ministry said.
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The ministry also said it expects wholesale sector sales to grow on an annual basis for the third month in a row, given rising uptake of AI and HPC applications, coupled with restocking demand in preparation for new business opportunities.
Last month, retail sector sales were NT$387.2 billion (US$12.01 billion), the highest April sales, driven mainly by higher consumption at supermarkets and convenience stores, e-commerce sites, cosmetics outlets, automobile vendors and information technology and consumer electronics stores, despite slowing sales at department stores, hypermarket outlets and apparel shops, the report said.
In the first four months of this year, retail sales totaled NT$1.57 trillion, up 3.2 percent from a year earlier, and are expected to grow up to 2.5 percent annually to between NT$389.6 billion and NT$401.3 billion, the ministry said.
Sales in the food and beverage sector reached NT$80 billion last month, as growth in in-flight meals supported catering services and Tomb Sweeping Day increased family gatherings, even though several food safety incidents affected restaurant sales, the report said.
In the first four months, food and beverage sales rose 5 percent year-on-year to NT$344.1 billion, the ministry said, forecasting sales this month would grow 4.5 to 7.5 percent annually to between NT$85.2 billion and NT$87.6 billion.
Wholesale sector sales were NT$1.06 trillion last month on the back of strong demand for machinery equipment, chemical materials, food and tobacco products, and medicines and cosmetics, the report said.
Cumulative sales in the first four months grew 9.5 percent to NT$4.1 trillion, and would rise by 10 to 13 percent annually this month to between NT$1.05 trillion and NT$1.07 trillion, the ministry said.
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