Retail sales decreased 12.1% year-on-year in February 2011

On a month-on-month seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales decreased 3.6 per cent.

According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, compared to February 2010, excluding motor vehicles, retail sales went down 3.5%.

Retail sales of motor vehicles, food & beverages, supermarkets and wearing apparel & footwear recorded double-digit declines of between 14.9% and 37.5% in February 2011.

Department stores and provision & sundry shops also reported decreases of 8.8% and 1.7% respectively.

However, retailers of watches & jewellery, petrol service stations, optical goods & books, furniture & household equipment and telecommunications apparatus & computers recorded higher turnover of between 2.1% and 16.0% over the same period.

Month-on-Month Change (Seasonally Adjusted)

Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales (seasonally adjusted) remained at similar level.

After seasonal adjustment, retail sales of motor vehicles, telecommunications apparatus & computers, optical goods & books, furniture & household equipment and recreational goods decreased between 5.1% and 17.6% compared to the previous month.

On the other hand, retailers of medical goods & toiletries, watches & jewellery, provision & sundry shops, food & beverages and petrol service stations reported higher sales of between 1.4% and 13.3%.