Retail sales for September up 5.5% y-o-y, lifted by sales of motor vehicles

BOOSTED by sales of motor vehicles, retail sales grew 5.5 per cent year on year in September, without which they would have been up a more muted 0.6 per cent.

Total retail sales value in September was S$3.1 billion, up from S$3 billion a year ago. Sales of motor vehicles rose 30 per cent year on year and just 1.8 per cent month on month, according to a release from the Department of Statistics (DOS) on Friday.

When comparing against August, September retail sales dipped 0.4 per cent month on month. Stripping out motor vehicles, retail sales would have fallen 0.9 per cent.

"Retailers of motor vehicles recorded an increase in sales of 30 per cent (year on year) in September, in line with the increase in the number of motor vehicles sales transactions," said the DOS.

Other categories which posted year-on-year growth include medical goods & toiletries, telecommunications apparatus & computers, watches & jewellery, department stores, mini-marts & convenience stores and supermarkets. These rose between 1.3 per cent and 6.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, retail sales of recreational goods and furniture & household equipment slipped 7.1 per cent and 6.9 per cent respectively.

Compared to August, retail sales of food & beverages, telecommunications apparatus & computers, optical goods & books, recreational goods, wearing apparel & footwear, petrol service stations, department stores and furniture & household equipment declined between 0.5 per cent and 4.2 per cent in September.

Categories which saw month-on-month retail sales growth of between 0.3 per cent and 2 per cent were mini-marts & convenience stores, motor vehicles, supermarkets, medical goods & toiletries and watches & jewellery.