Malaysia Retail Sales Growth Hits 13-Month High

Retail sales in Malaysia rose 6.3% year-on-year in April 2026, the softest growth in three months, following a 7.5% increase in March. Sales growth slowed for non-specialised stores (6.1% vs 8.1% in March), food, beverages and tobacco (5.8% vs 7.9%), and information and communication equipment (3.7% vs 5.9%). Trade also rose at a softer pace for other household equipment (3.5% vs 4.1%), other goods (6.8% vs 8.2%), and retail sales via stalls and markets (6.4% vs 9.3%). In contrast, sales growth picked up for automotive fuel (12.5% vs 10.6%), cultural and recreation goods (3.8% vs 2.7%), and trade not in stores, stalls or markets (8.8% vs 8.5%). On a monthly basis, retail sales declined by 1.8%, reversing 2.8% growth in March and marking the sharpest decline since February 2025. Meanwhile, wholesale trade jumped 24.1%, following a 15.7% increase in the prior period.

Retail sales in Malaysia grew 7.5% year-on-year in March 2026, easing from a 7.7% increase in the previous month, which had marked the fastest growth since January 2025. The slower growth was mainly due to softer increases in retail sales at specialised stores (8.1% vs 10.4% in February), household equipment stores (4.1% vs 4.3%), and recreational goods in specialised stores (2.7% vs 3.0%). Meanwhile, sales growth accelerated for other goods in specialised stores (8.2% vs 7.4%), information and communication equipment in specialised stores (5.9% vs 4.1%), as well as food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores (7.9% vs 7.7%). On a monthly basis, retail sales rose by 2.6% in March, rebounding from an upwardly revised 0.3% fall in February, marking the fastest growth since March 2025.

Retail sales in Malaysia increased by 7.7% year-on-year in February 2026, accelerating from a 6.1% rise in the previous month. This was the biggest gain since January 2025, driven mainly by faster increases in retail sales at non-specialised stores (10.4% vs 7.9% in January), other goods in specialised stores (7.4% vs 5.4%), and household equipment in specialised stores (4.3% vs 3.3%). Sales also went up for information and communication equipment in specialised stores (4.1% vs 3.9%), as well as food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores (7.7% vs 5.6%). Meanwhile, growth slowed in sales of cultural and recreational goods in specialised stores (3.0% vs 4.2%). On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased by 0.2% in February, following a 0.3% fall in January.