Economist at UOB Group Barnabas Gan reviews the latest release of Retail Sales in Singapore.

Key Takeaways

“Singapore’s retail sales surged 11.8% y/y (-2.5% m/m sa) in Jan 2022, surprising market estimates for a milder growth of 7.2%. Retail sales excluding motor vehicles rose 15.8% y/y in the same month.”

“Several factors contributed to the rise in retail sales. Seasonal factors such as the Lunar New Year (LNY) most likely fuelled consumer demand as LNY was in early Feb. Pent-up demand in line Singapore’s tighter labour market, and coupled with the low-base levels in Jan 2021, also likely contributed to retail sales demand.”

“Retail sales will likely continue to stay supported in 2022, in line with the positive economic prognosis and recovering labour market. Potential front-loading consumer demand in the year ahead could also help retail sales as consumers adjust for the higher GST rates in 2023. Barring the exacerbation of COVID-19-related risks in Singapore and around the region, we pencil retail sales to expand by 6.0% in 2022.”