Telecom gadgets, computer sales crash 11.4%

Overall retail sales dropped 2.9%.

According to SingStat's Retail Sales Index, retail sales increased 0.4% in July 2012 compared to June 2012. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales decreased 0.8%. Compared to a year ago, retail sales declined 2.9% in July 2012. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales went down 0.7%.

Here's more from SingStat:

Month-on-Month Change  
After seasonal adjustment, retailers of motor vehicles, watches & jewellery, department stores and food & beverages reported increases in sales of between 1.8% and 4.9% in July 2012 over June 2012.

On the other hand, retailers of telecommunications apparatus & computers registered a double-digit decline of 11.4% in sales in July 2012 compared to the previous month. Retail sales of recreational goods, furniture & household equipment, provision & sundry shops, wearing apparel & footwear, petrol service stations and optical goods & books also decreased between 0.7% and 6.4% over the same period.

Year-on-Year Change
Retail sales of motor vehicles decreased 9.7% in July 2012 over July 2011. Similarly, retailers of watches & jewellery, recreational goods, petrol service stations, telecommunications apparatus & computers, department stores, optical goods & books, furniture & household equipment and wearing apparel & footwear also registered declines in sales of between 1.1% and 4.2%.

In contrast, retailers of medical goods & toiletries reported an 8.6% increase in sales while retail sales of supermarkets, food & beverages and provision & sundry shops rose between 1.0% and 5.5% in July 2012 over July 2011.