Retail sales up 2.3% in January 2010

Catering trade meanwhile dropped 5.3% compared to January 2009.

Seasonally adjusted retail sales compared to December 2009 grew 5.8% in the first month of 2010. Increase for the same period was 4.6% excluding sales of motor vehicles.

According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, "After seasonal adjustment, motor vehicles and petrol service stations recorded higher sales of 14.5% and 10.0% respectively in January 2010 over December 2009. Similarly, department stores, watches & jewellery, supermarkets, optical goods & books, food & beverages, furniture & household equipment and wearing apparel & footwear recorded higher sales of between 4.2% and 9.3% in January 2010 over the previous month."

Meanwhile sales of telecommunications apparatus & computers saw a drop of 5.6% while those of medical goods & toiletries declined by 3.4%.

The Department added, "Compared to January 2009, sales of watches & jewellery, telecommunications apparatus & computers, furniture & household equipment, petrol service stations and optical goods & books increased by between 14.3% and 27.9% in January 2010. Motor vehicles and recreational goods also reported sales increases of 5.4% and 2.0% respectively over a year ago.

"Conversely, sales of food & beverages and supermarkets decreased by 33.1% and 11.9% respectively over January 2009. Similarly, sales of provision & sundry shops, wearing apparel & footwear and department stores declined by between 5.3% and 9.9% over a year ago."

While receipts of food caterers, restaurants and other eating places declined by between 5.7% and 7.3% in January 2010 over January 2009, turnover at fast food outlets increased by 1.7% compared to the previous year.