Real Singapore retail sales plummeted almost 10 per cent in February compared with 12 months earlier.

According to data from Statistics Singapore, sales declined 9.6 per cent year-on-year after the distortion of motor vehicle sales was removed from the data.

Month-on-month, real Singapore retail sales fell 1.1 per cent.

The total retail sales value in February 2016 was estimated at $3.4 billion, including motor vehicles, lower than the $3.5 billion in February 2015.

Meanwhile, sales of food & beverage services (seasonally adjusted) increased 0.3 per cent month on month and fell 1.9 per cent year-on-year.

From January to February, retail sales of clothing and footwear, telecommunications devices, computers, medical goods & toiletries, supermarkets and food & beverages rose between 0.9 per cent and 5.2 per cent.

But sales of optical goods & books, furniture & household items, at mini-marts & convenience stores and department stores and of watches & jewellery decreased between 1.2 per cent and 8.7 per cent during this period.

Year-on-year figures showed a more dramatic variation.

Food & beverage sales decreased 34.7 per cent in February. Other items to fall between 4.8 per cent and 16.6 per cent included telecommunications devices, computers, furniture & household equipment, clothing & footwear, watches & jewellery, spending at department stores and supermarkets and sales of optical goods, books and recreational goods.

Retail sales of medical goods & toiletries and at mini-marts & convenience stores grew by 4.1 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively.