Singapore retail sales up 1.9% in November

SINGAPORE: Singapore's retail sales rose 1.9 per cent year-on-year in November, compared to the previous month's increase of 7.5 per cent. 

The larger year-on-year increase in October was partly attributed to the computer and telecommunications industry recording higher mobile phone sales due to new product launches, according to data released by the Department of Statistics Singapore (SingStat) on Wednesday (Jan 5).

Excluding motor sales, retail sales were up 4.1 per cent. Retail sales value in November remained below pre-pandemic levels. 

Estimated total retail sales value came in at S$3.7 billion, of which online retail sales made up an estimated 16.9 per cent, compared to the 15.2 per cent recorded in October. 

The higher online retail sales proportion was mainly attributed to more sales recorded during the year-end online shopping events such as Singles' Day (11.11) and Black Friday, said SingStat. 

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, retail sales grew 2.5 per cent in November compared to the previous month. Retail sales rose to 2.9 per cent when motor vehicles were excluded.

RETAIL SALES BY INDUSTRY

The petrol service stations and watches and jewellery industries registered growth in sales of 21.1 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively in November. 

The growth was due mainly to higher petrol prices and greater demand for both watches and jewellery. 

Sales also grew in the wearing apparel and footwear, furniture and household equipment, as well as the cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods industries. 

However, sales of motor vehicles, as well as optical goods and books fell 12.3 per cent and 11.3 per cent respectively during this period. 

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, sales in most industries grew, with department stores topping the list at 17.6 per cent. 

Optical goods and books, as well as furniture and household equipment also saw double-digit increases of 16.6 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. 

On the contrary, sales of computer and telecommunications equipment fell 20.1 per cent during this period, due mainly to the higher sales point in October from new mobile phone launches.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES

Sales of food and beverage services rose 0.6 per cent year-on-year in November, a reversal from the 4.5 per cent drop in the previous month. 

The decline in October was due to tightened COVID-19 restrictions, when F&B establishments only allowed dining-in sizes of up to two vaccinated people, compared to the group size of five people in October 2020. 

On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of F&B services rose 10.4 per cent in November, mainly attributed to the lower base in October when there were stricter dine-in restrictions. 

F&B sales value in November remained below pre-pandemic levels, said SingStat. 

Total sales value of F&B services in November was estimated at S$706 million, of which online F&B sales made up an estimated 32.8 per cent, lower than the 38.4 per cent recorded in the previous month. 

Within the sector, food caterer sales rose 38.9 per cent on a year-on-year basis, due to the low base in 2020 when demand for catering was low. 

Turnover for cafes, food courts and other eating places rose 3.1 per cent in November, due to higher demand for food deliveries, said SingStat. 

However, restaurants lost 4.9 per cent in sales during this period, due to the tightened dine-in restrictions in November 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. 

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, sales of restaurants rose 32.6 per cent, due to the easing of dine-in restrictions in November compared to the previous month. 

Dining-in was allowed for groups of up to two fully vaccinated people from Nov 1 to Nov 21. The permitted group size of dining-in was later increased in five fully vaccinated people in Nov 22. 

Similarly, sales of food caterers, as well as cafes, food courts and other eating places rose 4.6 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. 

In contrast, sales of fast food outlets fell 5.2 per cent during this period.