KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s wholesale and retail trade sales rose 7.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM159.8 billion in January 2026, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
In a statement today, chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said retail trade recorded total sales of RM70.2 billion in January, an increase of RM4.1 billion, representing a 6.1 per cent y-o-y growth.
Meanwhile, wholesale trade posted sales of RM70.8 billion, rising by RM4.0 billion or 6.0 per cent y-o-y.
The motor vehicles sub-sector continued to demonstrate notable expansion, registering total sales of RM18.8 billion, an increase of RM2.8 billion, translating into a y-o-y growth of 17.3 per cent.
On retail trade performance, Mohd Uzir said growth was largely driven by higher sales in non-specialised stores, which rose 7.9 per cent to RM27.5 billion, supported by stronger demand at provision stores, department stores and supermarkets.
"The overall improvement in retail activity was mainly attributed to the school holidays, New Year celebrations, the disbursement of Bantuan Awal Persekolahan (BAP), as well as early preparations for the Chinese New Year festivities,” he said.
He said retail sales in specialised stores expanded 5.4 per cent to RM14.7 billion, supported by stronger demand for pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopaedic goods as well as jewellery.
In addition, retail sales of automotive fuels increased 7.0 per cent to RM6.5 billion, while sales of household equipment rose 3.3 per cent to RM7.8 billion, driven by higher purchases of construction materials and hardware, household furniture, as well as household utensils and crockery.
Mohd Uzir said wholesale trade also maintained steady performance during the month, with the wholesale of household goods expanding by 9.4 per cent to RM15.2 billion.
"This increase was mainly attributed to stronger sales of perfumeries, cosmetics, soap and toiletries, stationery, books, magazines and newspapers, as well as jewellery,” he said.
Mohd Uzir said other specialised wholesale activities recorded growth of 4.3 per cent to RM25.7 billion, supported by higher demand for construction materials, fertilisers and agrochemical products, as well as timber and related products.
"Growth was also underpinned by the wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco, which recorded a 5.8 per cent increase, driven by higher sales of rice, other grains, flour and sugars, fish and other seafood, and coffee, tea, cocoa and other beverages,” he said.
Mohd Uzir said the motor vehicles sub-sector’s strong performance was driven mainly by motor vehicle sales, which reached RM9.0 billion, a 25.9 per cent y-o-y increase.
"The strong performance was partly supported by year-opening promotional campaigns by automotive dealers and increased consumer demand ahead of the festive season, which traditionally encourages higher vehicle purchases and replacement demand.
"This performance is consistent with data from the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), which reported 64,298 vehicles sold, while the Road Transport Department Malaysia (JPJ) recorded 67,995 vehicle registrations during the month,” he said.
He added that other groups contributing to the expansion of the sub-sector included sales, maintenance and repair of motorcycles (32.7 per cent); sales of motor vehicle parts and accessories (6.2 per cent); as well as maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (9.3 per cent), reflecting continued demand for vehicle servicing and aftermarket components.
Meanwhile, online retail sales continued to grow in January, rising 5.9 per cent y-o-y compared with 8.9 per cent recorded in the previous month.
Digital payment activities also maintained strong momentum, with e-money transactions surging 55.4 per cent year-on-year to RM30.3 billion, while real-time retail payment platform (RPP) transactions amounted to RM359.0 billion, recording growth of 23.5 per cent.
FPX transactions expanded 32.6 per cent to RM51.2 billion, while credit and debit card transactions were recorded at RM20.7 billion and RM14.6 billion, respectively.
In terms of the volume index, wholesale and retail trade recorded a 5.8 per cent year-on-year increase, driven mainly by the motor vehicles sub-sector, which grew 15.9 per cent.
"However, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume index declined by 2.4 per cent month-on-month,” Mohd Uzir added. - Bernama
