Singapore retail sales surged 19 per cent year on year in June (excluding motor vehicles) – but this was largely a reflection of the lockdown last year that saw retail stores shuttered for part of the month.

Statistics Singapore said online shopping accounted for about 18.4 per cent of retail sales in June, which totalled SG$2.7 billion excluding motor vehicles.

“The higher online sales proportion in June was due mainly to online promotional events such as the Great Singapore Sale (GSS),” the government department said.

Online sales were driven by computer and telecommunications sales, comprising 57.5 per cent of the category total, furniture and homewares (32.8 per cent), and supermarkets (14.4 per cent).

Sales of food & beverage services in June was estimated at $529 million, with online sales comprising about 48 per cent of that, as more people ordered food online due to stricter dine-in restrictions during June.