Singapore retail sales rose 2.2 per cent in May after excluding motor vehicles.
The year-on-year increase was driven by rising sales of furniture and household equipment – up 9.1 per cent – and increased shopping before the Hari Raya festive period. Sales at petrol service stations rose 8.8 per cent, due partly to higher petrol prices.
Sales of the apparel and footwear, medical goods and toiletries and department stores rose by between 2.7 per cent and 6.8 per cent. But sales of computer and telecommunications equipment fell 11.3 per cent.
Compared to April, Singapore retail sales increased 0.4 per cent, after excluding motor vehicles.
Statistics Singapore estimated total retail sales in May as worth S$3.8 billion. Online retail sales accounted for about 4.3 per cent of that.
Compared to May last year, sales of food & beverage services increased 1.2 per cent in May to an estimated $689 million.
Fast-food outlets and food caterers registered higher sales at 10.8 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively, while turnover of restaurants and other eating places, such as cafes, fell by 0.3 per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively.