Retail sales, boosted by motor vehicle sales, up 2% in September

Sales of food and beverage services meanwhile gain 1.6 per cent year on year

- Rosalind Ang

Retail sales here went up in September, largely driven by motor vehicle sales, which saw a sharp rise aided by increased certificate of entitlement quotas and increased demand for electric vehicles.

Takings at the till increased by 2 per cent in September from a year ago, following the 0.7 per cent growth in August, data from the Department of Statistics showed on Nov 5.

Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales decreased by 1.4 per cent, extending the 1.3 per cent drop in August. Six of the 14 categories saw a rise in sales.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales rose by 0.4 per cent in September over the previous month.

The biggest year-on-year rise was for motor vehicles (29.6 per cent). Other industries that saw a rise in sales include cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods (2.9 per cent), and furniture and household equipment (2 per cent).

Sales dropped year on year in other sectors, with the largest declines observed in petrol service stations (9 per cent) as well as apparel and footwear (9.3 per cent).