SINGAPORE: Retail sales in Singapore rose 6.7% year-on-year in December after an adjusted 2.2% gain in the previous month.
Sales of food and beverage services also rose 7.4% in December after rising 1% in November, as dining restrictions were eased from late November.
Most retail sectors recorded year-on-year growth, including the watch and jewellery sector, which rose 27.4 per cent, according to data released by the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) on Friday (Feb 4).
People also bought more makeup, toiletries and medical supplies, as well as clothing and footwear — all of which saw sales up about 17% in December from a year earlier.
But car sales fell 7.2%, as did eyewear and books, down 5% year over year.
Sales rose in most industries on a seasonally adjusted basis, with department stores leading the way with a 9.7% increase.
F&B Services
Foodservice sales rose 7.4 cents in December from a year earlier, compared with a 1% increase the previous month.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, foodservice sales rose 11.7% in December from November. SingStat attributed this mainly to a lower base in November, when tighter dining restrictions emerged due to COVID-19.
From Nov. 1 to 21, up to two fully vaccinated people will be allowed to eat. From November 22, that number has increased to groups of five.
Total foodservice sales in December were estimated at S$855 million. Of this, online restaurant sales are estimated to account for 28.6%, compared to 33.3% in November.
