As such, excluding motor vehicles, the retail sales index was down 9.7% on the back of weaker domestic consumption and fewer tourist arrivals, Singstat notes.
SINGAPORE (May 5): Singapore’s total retail sales value fell 13.3% year-on-year in March to $3.3 billion, following the imposition of safe distancing measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. This deepens the 8.4% decline registered in February, according to data released by the Department of Statistics (Singstat) on Tuesday.
Motor vehicles took the greatest hit, with takings down 28.2% year-on-year, from a 1.3% expansion seen in February. This comes as households tightened their purse strings and reduced consumption in light of a weaker economic outlook.
