By Michelle Tay

NOT even a round of pre-Christmas discounts could stop the slide in retail sales last November as shoppers started to curb splashing out on luxury items like jewellery.

And as a sign of the leaner times, sales of necessities like food and medicines shot up - with supermarkets, provision and sundry stores all enjoying a bumper November.

But overall, it was a case of misery in store in November with shoppers watching the pennies.

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