Singapore's retail sales up 4.6% in Sept year on year, F&B sales fall

SINGAPORE retail sales moved up 4.6 per cent in September year on year, boosted by sales of motor vehicles.

Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales were down 1.4 per cent.

Total retail sales value in September 2015 was estimated at S$3.4 billion, higher than the S$3.2 billion in September 2014.

Apart from the sales of motor vehicles - which jumped by 48.3 per cent as a result of the lower prices of certificates of entitlement - department stores, supermarkets and medical goods and toiletries were the only categories that recorded higher takings in September.

Petrol station takings posted the sharpest fall of 22.5 per cent year on year.

Sales of food and beverage (F&B) services dropped 2.7 per cent in September on a year on year basis.

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, sales of (F&B) services slid 1.6 per cent.

The total sales value of F&B services in September was estimated at S$629 million, lower than the S$647 million in September 2014.

The Retail Sales Index (RSI) and Food & Beverage Services Index (FSI) measure the short-term performance of retail and F&B services industries based on the sales records of retail and F&B service establishments.