Singapore retail sales increase 6.6% in September 2021, partly due to the launch of new mobile phones.
The total estimated value of retail sales in September was S $ 3.4 billion, of which online retail sales accounted for an estimated 15.2% compared to 14.1% in August.
Excluding motor vehicles, the total value of retail sales was approximate S $ 2.9 billion, of which 18 percent were online retail sales.
INCREASE IN F&B SALES
Food and beverage service sales in September rose 4.4 percent year-on-year, compared with a 6.7 percent drop in the previous month.
On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, food and beverage service sales rose 12.1 percent in September, primarily attributed to the lower base in August when stricter eating-at-home rules were established.
Dinner resumed on August 10 for groups of five fully vaccinated people. This continued until September 27 when it was reduced to groups of two.
“The value of food and beverage sales in September 2021 remained below pre-COVID levels,” SingStat said.
The total value of food and beverage service sales in September was estimated at S $ 669 million, of which online sales accounted for 34.5 percent, down from 39.3 percent in August.
Within F&B, catering business sales grew 36.4 percent in September on a year-over-year basis, due to last year’s low base when demand for catering was low.
The turnover of fast food establishments increased 10.7 percent, while cafes, food courts and other places to eat grew 8.4 percent due to higher demand for food delivery.
However, restaurant turnover fell 5.2 percent due to tighter dining restrictions in September compared to the same period last year.
On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, restaurants posted a 27.7 percent increase in sales for September, mainly due to the lower base in August, when there were stricter regulations for eating at the venue.
The turnover of cafes, food courts, and other places to eat, fast food establishments and catering services increased between 1.9% and 5.7% during this period.