It appears that despite the waves of people, purchases are coming in drops. In 1985, Taipei's 17 major department stores rang up total sales of NT $ 12 billion. One year later, 18 retailing houses shared a meager NT $ 11.8 billion.
民國七十四年，台北市十七家大型綜合百貨公司的總營業額超過新台幣一百廿億元；七十五年七月，第一家僑外投資的先施百貨開幕，雖然多了一處賣場，十八家的營業總額反而少了二億四千多萬元。