Malaysia: Malaysia's wholesale and retail trade recorded sales of RM170.5 billion in July 2026, marking a nine percent increase year-on-year (y-o-y), as reported by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, DOSM stated that all three sub-sectors-wholesale trade, retail trade, and motor vehicles-continued to grow in July 2026. Wholesale trade achieved sales of RM78.4 billion, reflecting an increase of RM8.2 billion or 11.7 percent y-o-y. Retail trade rose by RM4.3 billion or 6.4 percent to RM71.3 billion, while the motor vehicles sub-sector expanded by RM1.5 billion or 7.9 percent, reaching RM20.8 billion.

The department highlighted that these three sub-sectors collectively contributed RM14.1 billion to the overall increase in sales, with wholesale trade being the primary driver of growth, followed by retail trade and motor vehicles. Wholesale trade experienced an 11.7 percent expansion, primarily driven by the other specialised wholesale group, which surged by 22.8 percent to RM31.7 billion, supported by higher sales of petrol, diesel, lubricants, and liquefied petroleum gas.

In the retail trade sub-sector, there was a positive performance in July 2026, with sales increasing by 6.4 percent to RM71.3 billion. Retail sales in non-specialised stores led this growth, rising by 7.2 percent to RM27.6 billion, supported by sales in supermarkets and department stores.

The motor vehicles sub-sector also saw a 7.9 percent growth in July 2026, driven mainly by motor vehicle sales, which increased by 8.3 percent to RM10.7 billion. Additionally, the online retail sales index showed a 7.4 percent y-o-y increase in July 2026, although at a more moderate pace compared to the 9.0 percent growth observed in June 2026.