Motor vehicle sales shrank 14.7%

The segment dragged down December 2011 retail sales to a 2.4% month-on-month contraction.

Year-on-year, retail sales still grew at 4.2% but this is smaller than the 6.2% expansion in the previous recorded month.

"After seasonal adjustment, retail sales of motor vehicles decreased 14.7% in December 2011 over November 2011. Retailers of provision & sundry shops, telecommunications apparatus & computers, recreational goods, department stores and petrol service stations also registered declines in sales of between 0.9% and 3.7% compared to the previous month," said Department of Statistics Singapore in a release.

"On the other hand, retail sales of wearing apparel & footwear, medical goods & toiletries, food & beverages, furniture & household equipment, optical goods & books, watches & jewellery and supermarkets rose between 1.7% and 6.9%," it added.

"Compared to December 2010, retailers of telecommunications apparatus & computers, petrol service stations, watches & jewellery, medical goods & toiletries and food & beverages recorded double-digit growth in sales of between 10.9% and 29.7% in December 2011. Similarly, retail sales of wearing apparel & footwear, department stores, supermarkets, furniture & household equipment and provision & sundry shops increased between 1.5% and 6.6%," Statistics Singapore said.

"On the other hand, retailers of motor vehicles, recreational goods and optical goods & books reported declines in sales of between 2.5% and 9.6% in December 2011 over December 2010," it said further.