Singapore retail sales inched up 0.3 per cent year on year in April, easing from the previous month on the back of slower sales at department stores, data from the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) showed on Thursday (Jun 5).

Retail sales in March was revised upward to 1.3 per cent year on year.

Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales rose 0.8 per cent year on year in April, marginally lower than the 0.9 per cent recorded in March.

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales also rose 0.3 per cent in April, compared with the previous month’s 2.7 per cent contraction.

Retail sales growth

Year on year: 0.3 per cent

Year on year, excluding motor vehicles: 0.8 per cent

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Month on month, seasonally adjusted: 0.3 per cent

Month on month, seasonally adjusted, excluding motor vehicles: 0.2 per cent

Total retail sales value: S$3.9 billion

Year on year, sales grew in nearly two-thirds of the 14 categories:

Supermarkets and hypermarkets (1.7 per cent)

Mini-marts and convenience stores (3.1 per cent)

Food and alcohol (3 per cent)

Cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods (2.3 per cent)

Recreational goods (4.9 per cent)

Watches and jewellery (12.9 per cent)

Computer and telecommunications equipment (14.8 per cent)

Optical goods and books (1.6 per cent)

Others: (2.9 per cent)

Other categories posted a decline:

Department stores (-8.2 per cent)

Motor vehicles (-2.9 per cent)

Petrol service stations (-10.6 per cent)

Wearing apparel and footwear (-10.3 per cent)

Furniture and household equipment (-5.6 per cent)

Food and beverage services growth

Year on year: 1.2 per cent

Month on month, seasonally adjusted: 1.2 per cent

Restaurants (-3.7 per cent)

Fast food outlets (1.9 per cent)

Food caterers (19.9 per cent)

Cafes, food courts and other eating places (0.6 per cent)