Singapore’s retail sales rose 1.7% year over year in September, while a seasonally adjusted monthly fall showed demand remained uneven in a key measure of household spending, the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) said.
The annual increase extended August’s 0.8% rise. From August, seasonally adjusted sales fell 1%. Excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories, sales were up 2.5% from a year earlier but down 1.8% on the month. Annual growth for that measure had been 1.7% in August.
SingStat estimated September retail sales at S$4.3 billion. September’s online share was 17.7%, up from 15.6% in August.
Six of 14 retail industries recorded annual gains. Sales of computer and telecommunications equipment rose 16.5%, while petrol station sales increased 6.5%. SingStat said the increases reflected mobile-phone demand and higher petrol prices. Mini-marts and convenience stores saw sales fall 5.6%, and department stores were down 3.4%.
Food and beverage services sales rose 1% year over year, reversing a 1.8% decline in August. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the sector’s sales increased 0.8% from the previous month. SingStat estimated total sales at S$1.6 billion, with online transactions making up 21.1%.
The current-price retail sales index reflects changes in both prices and quantities; SingStat also publishes a volume index. DBS Bank senior economist Chua Han Teng told The Straits Times that higher pump prices were adding to consumer costs. Maybank economist Chua Hak Bin said in the same report that retrenchments, living costs and a strong Singapore dollar could weigh on spending.
Chua Hak Bin said fourth-quarter events, including Formula One and concerts, might support hospitality, retail and food businesses. He also pointed to a planned S$300 CDC voucher distribution in January as a possible boost to supermarket and food-service sales early in 2027.
