Singapore retail sales up more than 6% in November 2025
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Recreational goods experienced the best performance, increasing 13.9 per cent year on year.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
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SINGAPORE – Retail sales grew 6.3 per cent year on year in November 2025, accelerating from the previous month, with most industries recording higher sales, according to data from the Singapore Department of Statistics released on Jan 5.
Retail sales in October 2025 had grown 4.4 per cent year on year, revised down from a 4.5 per cent rise.
Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales grew 0.8 per cent in November, falling from October’s revised 3 per cent expansion.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales registered flat growth in November over the previous month, with just three out of 14 major retail sales categories recording year-on-year decreases.
The recreational goods sector performed best, with sales increasing 13.9 per cent year on year.
Other segments that performed well included cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods, which saw a rise of 11.4 per cent.
“We expect retail sales to expand by around 4 per cent in 2026, supported by robust growth, falling interest rates and a healthy job market,” said Maybank economist Chua Hak Bin.
Singaporeans must be feeling wealthier, possibly because of rising stock and property prices, or more confidence regarding the job outlook, he said.
The estimated total retail sales value in November was $4.4 billion. Of this, an estimated 16.9 per cent was from online retail sales, lower than the 14.5 per cent recorded in October.
Excluding motor vehicles, the total retail sales value was about $3.9 billion, of which 19.3 per cent was from online retail sales.
The larger proportion of online retail sales was mainly attributed to increased online purchases during year-end shopping events such as Singles’ Day and Black Friday.
Online retail sales made up 60.6 per cent of the total sales of computer and telecommunications equipment, 40.7 per cent for furniture and household equipment, and 12.6 per cent of the total sales of supermarkets and hypermarkets.
Sales of food and beverage services rose 2.5 per cent in November on a year-on-year basis, matching the 2.5 per cent growth in October. On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of food and beverage services fell 0.8 per cent in November compared with the previous month.
The total sales value of food and beverage services in November was estimated at $1 billion. Of this, an estimated 24.8 per cent was from online sales, slightly lower than the 25.1 per cent recorded in October.
Within the food and beverages services sector, food caterers and fast food outlets registered a growth in sales of 7 per cent each in November.
Meanwhile, the sales of cafes, foodcourts and other eating places grew by 2 per cent during this period. In contrast, turnover of restaurants decreased 0.4 per cent in November.
Measures to enhance household disposable income – such as the CDC vouchers disbursed in January
