Real Singapore retail sales – those excluding motor vehicles – rose by 3.7 per cent in August, compared with the same month last year.

Compared with July, they fell by 1.2 per cent.

Adding motor vehicles into the data, August sales rose by 3.5 per cent year-on-year and eased 0.3 per cent month-on-month.

Statistics Singapore estimates total retail sales in August at $3.7 billion, higher than the $3.5 billion in August last year.

Sales by petrol service stations, department stores and supermarkets and of recreational goods, medical goods and toiletries, apparel and footwear, computer and telecommunications equipment and furniture and household equipment rose between 2.8 per cent and 9.5 per cent in August.

In contrast, retail sales of optical goods and books and watches and jewellery, and sales by food retailers, mini-marts and convenience stores, fell by between 0.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent.

Sales of food & beverage services increased 3.7 per cent in August 2017, year-on-year, to $729 million.