SINGAPORE - A 35.9 per cent year on year jump in car sales drove Singapore's retail sales into the black for May.

May's overall retail takings rose 3 per cent - but excluding motor vehicles, sales were down 3.3 per cent, figures released on Friday (July 15) by the Department of Statistics showed.

Total retail sales value in May was estimated at S$3.7 billion, higher than the S$3.6 billion in May 2015.

Apart from motor vehicles, only two other retail segments enjoyed a year on year rise in sales - Medical Goods & Toiletries (up 1.9 per cent) and Furniture & Household Equipment (up 3.1 per cent.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail turnover increased 1.4 per cent in May over the previous month. Excluding motor vehicles, they rose 2.3 per cent.