Retail sales slipped 1.8% to $3.5b in April

Only the apparel & footwear industry was able to post gains after sales rose 3.4%.

Retail sales dipped 1.8% YoY in April to about $3.5b, of which online retail sales made up an estimated 5.4%, data from the Department of Statistics Singapore (SingStat) revealed.

Most retail industries recorded lower sales in April led by computer & telecommunications equipment, and furniture & household equipment industries which registered sales declines of 6.7% and 6.5% respectively, due partly to lower sales of mobile phones and furniture.

Similarly, sales of food retailers, the optical goods & books industries and department stores decreased between 3.1% and 3.5% compared to April 2018.

The wearing apparel & footwear industry was the only segment which witnessed a YoY sales growth of 3.4%, due partly to higher demand for bags & footwear.

Meanwhile, sales of food and beverage (F&B) services rose 3.1% YoY to $826m, compared to the $801m reported in 2018. Fast food outlets, food caterers and other eating places such as cafes, registered growth in turnover of between 3.6% and 8.2% YoY in April. Sales of restaurants increased a marginal 0.1% during the same period.