Singapore retail sales ease down in August

Singapore retail sales eased down by 1 per cent year on year in August, after excluding motor vehicle sales. 

A 20.3-per-cent fall in the value of motor vehicles sold during the month caused the topline figure to decline by 4.1 per cent. 

However, month on month, real retail sales rose by 2.2 per cent (they fell by 1.3 per cent with motor vehicle sales included in the data). 

On a year-on-year basis, sales of furniture & household equipment and watches & jewellery fell by 9.8 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively, largely attributed to lower demand for household equipment and jewellery, according to Statistics Singapore. 

Other retail industries that recorded declines in sales included petrol service stations (down 3.3 per cent), recreational goods (down 2.7 per cent) and food retailers (down 2.3 per cent).

Conversely, sales of apparel & footwear, in department stores, and of medical goods & toiletries rose by between 4 per cent and 4.9 per cent.

Online sales comprised 5.5 per cent of the total. 

Sales of food & beverage services

Meanwhile, sales of food & beverage services grew by 3.6 per cent year on year in August.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales rose by 1.4 per cent, month on month. 

Turnover of fast-food outlets, restaurants and food caterers increased by between 3.7 per cent and 10 per cent, while sales of other eating places (such as cafes) decreased by 0.4 per cent.

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