Singapore retail takings rise 2.8% in July, but fall 3.1% without car sales

Shoppers in Sheng Siong Supermarket at 88 Tanglin Halt Road. Retail sales of medical goods & toiletries, mini-marts & convenience stores and supermarkets edged up by 0.3% to 4.5% year on year. ST PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR

SINGAPOPRE - Takings by retailers here rose 2.8 per cent in July from a year earlier as cars once again drove to the rescue.

Excluding auto sales, which jumped 36.5 per cent, retail turnover fell 3.1 per year on year, figures released by the Department of Statistics on Thursday (Sept 15)showed.

Retail sales of medical goods & toiletries, mini-marts & convenience stores and supermarkets edged up by 0.3 per cent to 4.5 per cent year on year.

But sales of computer & telecommunications equipment and petrol service stations fell 18.8 per cent and 13.6 per cent respectively in July from a year ago.

Likewise, retail sales of watches & jewellery, food & beverages, recreational goods, optical goods & books, furniture & household equipment, wearing apparel & footwear and department stores1 declined between 0.7 per cent and 9.6 per cent.

PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS

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