Singapore retail sales – excluding motor vehicles – fell by 11.2 per cent in October, a marginal improvement on the 12.5-per-cent decline in September.
According to data from Statistics Singapore, online sales made up 12.6 per cent of the total $2.7 billion in sales (US$2.02 billion), again excluding motor vehicles.
Online retail sales of computer & telecommunications equipment, furniture & household equipment and supermarkets & hypermarkets made up 46.4 per cent, 20.2 per cent and 12 per cent of the total sales of their respective sectors.
Year-on-year, most retail industries continued to register declines in sales in October, with department stores, as well as retailers of cosmetics, toiletries & medical goods, apparel & footwear and watches & jewellery registering sales declines of between 24.3 per cent and 35.2 per cent.
However, sales in supermarkets & hypermarkets, of furniture & household equipment and recreational goods increased by between 9.8 per cent and 22.3 per cent, due to increased demand for groceries, furniture and sporting goods.
Sales of food & beverage services fell 23.5 per cent in October, a lesser rate than the 29.1-per-cent fall in September. On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of food & beverage services increased 5.6 per cent month on month.
Online accounted for 19.7 per cent of the total sales value of food & beverage services in October, estimated at SG$692 million.
