October Singapore retail sales rose a meagre 0.8 per cent over the same month last year, falling 1 per cent from September.

Those figures exclude motor vehicles which typically skew Singapore’s data. Including those, retail sales declined 0.1 per cent year on year.

Month on month, real retail sales fell 1 per cent, but they rose 1.5 per cent including vehicles.

The total retail sales value in October 2017 was estimated at S$3.6 billion.

The greatest negative contributor to year on year October Singapore retail sales data was the computer and telecommunications category, which slumped 23.4 per cent. Sales by food retailers, of optical goods and books, furniture and household equipment and at mini-marts and convenience stores decreased between 0.4 per cent and 3.9 per cent.

However, sales of medical goods and toiletries, at supermarkets, of watches and jewellery, recreational goods, clothing and footwear and sales of goods at department stores rose by between 2.1 per cent and 7.7 per cent in October.

Sales of food and beverage services at restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets increased 0.7 per cent in October.