Singapore retail and F&B sales rise in September
The Republic's retail sales picked up to 1.7 per cent in September, recording a total value of $4.3 billion, according to the latest data posted by Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) on Thursday (Nov 5).This improves from the 0.8 per cent recorded in August — the lowest since February.Excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories, retail sales grew by 2.5 per cent, or $3.6 billion, an increase from the 1.7 per cent in August.On a month-on-month and seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales declined 1 per cent in September, extending the 0.9 per cent decline in the preceding month.The total value of sales in September was $4.3 billion, but excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories sales it was $3.6 billion.According to SingStat, 17.7 per cent of total retail sales were transacted online, up from the 15.6 per cent recorded in August.This proportion grew to 20.8 per cent, when motor vehicles, parts and accessories are excluded.Across the 14 categories tracked, sales growth was recorded in six sectors, year-on-year, with the highest growth recorded in computer and telecommunications equipment: