File pic: Crowds throng Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur. — SHAARI CHEMAT / The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s September 2025 wholesale and retail trade registered a 6.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) rise in sales to RM158 billion, said the Statistics Department of Malaysia (DOSM).
In a statement today, its chief statistician, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, attributed the growth to the various sub-sectors within.
"The wholesale trade sub-sector sales reached RM71.1 billion, registering a 6.9 per cent y-o-y increase while retail trade sub-sector sales saw steady growth at RM68.9 billion, up seven per cent.
"The sub-sector motor sales registered RM18 billion, a 4.3 per cent increase y-o-y,” he said.
Online retail sales continued to record positive growth, with the sales index increasing by 9.5 per cent versus a year ago, partly attributed to the 9.9 online sale event, which spurred consumer demand and contributed to higher transaction volumes across e-commerce platforms.
"September digital payment activities also continued to expand, with e-wallet transactions rising sharply by 62.7 per cent y-o-y to RM23.9 billion.
"The real-time retail payments platform also recorded strong performance with total transactions reaching RM307.8 billion.
"Additionally, financial process exchange transactions grew 27.2 per cent y-o-y to RM40.3 billion, while credit card and debit card transactions amounted to RM19.0 billion and RM12.9 billion, respectively,” he said.
In terms of volume index, wholesale and retail trade recorded a y-o-y rise of 5.4 per cent, with growth mainly driven by the wholesale trade sub-sector, which rose by 6.6 per cent, followed by retail trade and motor vehicles at 4.8 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively.
"In contrast, for seasonal adjustment, the volume index inched down -0.6 per cent month-on-month.
The chief statistician said the wholesale and retail trade sector is expected to maintain its upward momentum, supported by festive spending and ongoing household assistance measures.
"The continued redemption of SARA cash aid is likely to bolster consumer purchasing power, particularly in essential goods and daily necessities.
"Additionally, the Deepavali celebration is anticipated to stimulate higher retail activity, especially in non-specialised and specialised stores, as well as food, beverages, and household-related segments," he added. - Bernama
