Online retail sales value surged 23% in 2026

Retail sales in August reached $2.8b.

The value of online retail sales increased by 23% in the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

A government spokesman said the notable growth in online retail sales value reflects a continued shift in consumer spending towards digital channels.

The value of total retail sales in August 2026 is estimated to reach $32.1b, an increase of 5.6% compared with the same month in 2025.

For the first 8 months of 2026 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales increased by 8.5% compared with the same period in 2025.

Of the total retail sales value in August 2026, online sales accounted for 8.7%.

The value of online retail sales in that month, provisionally estimated at $2.8b, increased by 9.9% compared with the same month in 2025. For the first 8 months of 2026 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of online retail sales increased by 23.0% compared with the same period in 2025.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in August 2026 increased by 2.9% compared with a year earlier.

For the first 8 months of 2026 taken together, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales increased by 6.1% in volume compared with the same period in 2025.

The value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased by 11.9%. This was followed by sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified (9.6%); commodities in supermarkets (+2.1%); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (+29.1%); medicines and cosmetics (+5.6%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+1.9%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (+11.2%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (+0.6%); furniture and fixtures (+3.0%); and optical shops (+5.9%).

Meanwhile, the value of sales of wearing apparel decreased by 0.5% in August 2026 over a year earlier. This was followed by sales of commodities in department stores (-2.6% in value); motor vehicles and parts (-22.0%); fuels (-11.7%); and Chinese drugs and herbs (-6.0%).

Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of the value of total retail sales decreased by 4.6% in the three months ending August 2026 compared with the preceding three-month period, whilst the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales decreased by 3.4%.