Singapore retail sales climb as beauty and tech lead the charge

Singapore's retail sales continued to grow in August 2026, rising 0.7% year-on-year as consumers spent more on cosmetics, toiletries and mobile phones.

The increase followed a 1.3% rise in July, according to the latest "Retail sales index" from the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat). Excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories, retail sales grew at a stronger 1.6% year-on-year.

Total retail sales were estimated at SG$4.5 billion in August, with online purchases accounting for 15.7% of sales. This was up slightly from the 15.2% online share recorded in July. Excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories, retail sales were estimated at SG$3.8 billion, of which 18.2% came from online channels.

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The "Retail sales index" measures the monthly sales performance of Singapore's retail trade industry and includes sales made through both physical and online channels. The August survey covered approximately 460 retail trade enterprises, with responding firms accounting for about 80% of sales revenue among businesses selected for the survey.

Beauty and technology emerged among the strongest-performing retail categories during the month. Sales of cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods jumped 11.2% year-on-year, partly driven by higher sales of cosmetics and toiletries.

Computer and telecommunications equipment sales rose 10.7%, partly on higher mobile phone sales, while recreational goods recorded a 4.3% increase. In contrast, motor vehicles, parts and accessories saw sales fall 4.6% year-on-year, while watches and jewellery declined 2.7%.

Online channels remained particularly significant for technology retailers.

Online purchases accounted for 63.7% of computer and telecommunications equipment sales in August, alongside 34.7% of furniture and household equipment sales and 12.3% of supermarkets and hypermarkets sales.

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, overall retail sales fell 1.0% from July, largely due to a 9.5% decline in motor vehicles, parts and accessories. When the category was excluded, retail sales instead increased 0.6%.

Several categories also recorded month-on-month gains, with cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods sales rising 8.4%, followed by petrol service stations at 4.2% and food and alcohol at 3.4%. Watches and jewellery, meanwhile, declined 7.8%.

As online channels take a bigger share of retail spending, Singapore shoppers are also becoming more deliberate about what makes a digital shopping experience worth their time. A recent Criteo "Spark of discovery 2026" report found that Singapore consumers are moving beyond novelty-driven eCommerce experiences and increasingly prioritising relevance, reliability and speed when shopping online.

Drawing on consumer and brand perceptions across Singapore, India and Australia, the study found that 43% of Singapore shoppers cited faster and less time-consuming shopping journeys as their top area for improvement. Only 32% viewed online shopping as more of a "chore" than shopping in-store, below the regional average of 37%.

At the same time, discovery remains part of the experience. While 63% of Singapore consumers said they still value "joy" when shopping online, 60% were open to discovering something new, alongside 62% who preferred sticking to a planned shopping list.

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