Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's wholesale and retail trade saw a robust increase of 10.1 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) in June 2026, with sales reaching RM168.5 billion. This growth was bolstered by positive momentum across all three sub-sectors, as reported by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the volume index also rose in conjunction with the sales value, marking a 5.1 percent y-o-y increase. The wholesale trade sector experienced a notable growth, recording RM76.8 billion in sales-an increment of RM8.5 billion or 12.4 percent y-o-y.
Retail trade also showed a strong performance with sales of RM72.0 billion, a rise of RM4.5 billion or 6.6 percent. Meanwhile, the motor vehicles sub-sector exhibited the most significant growth at 14.9 percent, contributing an additional RM2.6 billion to reach RM19.7 billion. Collectively, these three sub-sectors accounted for a RM15.5 billion increase in sales, highlighting their contribution to the overall trade uptick.
The DOSM emphasized that wholesale trade continued to lead in sales contribution, primarily driven by a 25.3 percent increase in the other specialised wholesale group, which achieved RM31.0 billion. This was largely spurred by heightened sales of petroleum-related products, including petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas.
Other areas within the wholesale trade, such as household goods and food, beverages, and tobacco, also saw growth. Household goods expanded by 6.5 percent to RM15.3 billion, supported by the demand for pharmaceutical and medical goods, jewellery, and clothing. The wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco rose by 4.5 percent, boosted by increased sales of staple items like rice, dairy products, and seafood.
The retail trade sub-sector maintained its positive trajectory, achieving a 6.6 percent increase to RM72.0 billion. This was led by a 7.0 percent rise in retail sales from non-specialised stores, supported by supermarkets and department stores. Specialised store sales of other goods grew by 7.0 percent, driven by demand for pharmaceuticals and jewellery. Additionally, retail sales of automotive fuel and food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores grew significantly.
The festive season and school holidays contributed to heightened consumer activity, bolstering retail performance through increased mobility and household purchases.
The motor vehicles sub-sector demonstrated the strongest sales growth, reaching RM19.7 billion, mainly due to a 22.3 percent rise in motor vehicle sales, totaling RM9.8 billion.
Online retail activity also showed promising growth, with the online retail sales index rising by 9.0 percent y-o-y, up from 8.6 percent in May 2026. This trend underscores the sustained consumer demand through e-commerce platforms, highlighting the importance of digital channels in the retail sector's expansion.