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[SINGAPORE] The Republic’s retail sales fell 3.6 per cent year on year in February, reversing the revised 4.7 per cent growth posted the month before, data from the Department of Statistics (SingStat) showed on Friday (Apr 4).

SingStat attributed the decline to Chinese New Year being celebrated in January this year, as opposed to February last year.

February’s result was also below the estimates of private-sector economists polled by Bloomberg; they had expected retail sales to dip 0.2 per cent year on year.

Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales dropped 6.7 per cent on the year, compared with January’s 5.1 per cent growth.

Retail sales growth

Year on year: -3.6 per cent

Year on year, excluding motor vehicles: -6.7 per cent

Month on month, seasonally adjusted: 3 per cent

Month on month, seasonally adjusted, excluding motor vehicles: 2.2 per cent

Total retail sales value: S$3.8 billion

Year on year, sales grew in six of 14 categories:

• Motor vehicles (20 per cent)

• Cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods (2.8 per cent)

• Optical goods and books (6.4 per cent)

• Watches and jewellery (2.8 per cent)

• Computer and telecommunications equipment (4.3 per cent)

• Others (5 per cent)

The remaining categories posted a decline:

• Department stores (-14.6 per cent)

• Supermarkets and hypermarkets (-13.3 per cent)

• Food and alcohol (-12.5 per cent)

• Minimarts and convenience stores (-5.9 per cent)

• Petrol service stations (-10.6 per cent)

• Wearing apparel and footwear (-18.4 per cent)

• Furniture and household equipment (-5.3 per cent)

• Recreational goods (-8.1 per cent)

Food and beverage services growth

Year on year: -5.6 per cent

Month on month, seasonally adjusted: -1.4 per cent

• Restaurants (-10.2 per cent)

• Fast food outlets (-8.2 per cent)

• Food caterers (6.6 per cent)

• Cafes, food courts and others (-3.1 per cent)