KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s wholesale and retail trade in February 2026 recorded sales of RM156.3 billion, up 5.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y), according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the retail trade and wholesale trade sub-sectors drove the sales growth.
"Retail trade posted total sales of RM70.1 billion, an increase of RM5.0 billion, representing a year-on-year growth of 7.7 per cent. Similarly, wholesale trade recorded sales of RM69.5 billion, up RM3.7 billion from the previous year, translating to a y-o-y growth of 5.7 per cent.
"However, the motor vehicles sub-sector experienced a decline of RM0.9 billion, resulting in total sales of RM16.7 billion,” he said.
On the retail trade sub-sector, Mohd Uzir said the performance was primarily driven by retail sales in non-specialised stores, which grew by 10.4 per cent to RM27.6 billion, supported by increased sales in provision stores, supermarkets and mini markets.
He said the growth in retail activity was bolstered by seasonal festive spending during Chinese New Year, the one-off Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) disbursement, the upward revision in civil servants’ salaries, and early preparations for the Ramadan season.
Meanwhile, retail sales in specialised stores rose by 7.4 per cent to RM14.8 billion in February 2026, underpinned by stronger demand for pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopaedic goods, clothing, and jewellery.
"In addition, retail sales of automotive fuels increased by 6.2 per cent to RM6.3 billion. Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco also registered a 7.7 per cent rise to RM4.5 billion, driven by higher purchases of meat, fish and other seafood.
"The wholesale trade sub-sector continued to demonstrate steady performance in February, led by the wholesale of household goods, which expanded by 9.6 per cent to RM15.0 billion, driven by stronger sales of pharmaceutical and medical goods, perfumeries, cosmetics and toiletries, as well as household furniture,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir said the other specialised wholesale group increased by 3.7 per cent to RM25.6 billion, supported by higher demand for fertilisers and agrochemical products, alongside ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores and metals.
He said wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco rose by 5.7 per cent, underpinned by increased sales of dairy products, fish and other seafood, as well as vegetables.
Meanwhile, DOSM attributed the motor vehicles sub-sector’s decline in February to a 17.1 per cent contraction in motor vehicle sales, amounting to RM7.3 billion.
"This trend is in line with data from the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), which reported total vehicle sales of 52,414 units, while the Road Transport Department Malaysia (JPJ) recorded 56,690 vehicle registrations during the same period.
"Other groups within the sub-sector continued to register positive growth, including sales of motor vehicle parts and accessories (6.6 per cent), maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (9.5 per cent), and sales, maintenance and repair of motorcycles (0.7 per cent), reflecting sustained demand for vehicle servicing and aftermarket components,” it said.
DOSM said online retail sales continued to record growth in February, with the sales index rising 5.8 per cent y-o-y, slightly moderating from 5.9 per cent in the previous month.
It said digital payment activities continued to strengthen in February, with e-money transactions surging by 74.8 per cent year-on-year, reaching RM30.2 billion, reflecting the rising adoption of cashless payment methods.
"The Real-time Retail Payments Platform (RPP) also maintained strong performance, with total transactions amounting to RM323.8 billion, registering a growth of 29.4 per cent.
"Meanwhile, FPX transactions grew by 23.3 per cent to RM40.6 billion, with credit card and debit card transactions at RM18.2 billion and RM13.5 billion, respectively,” it added. - Bernama
