Retail sales in Malaysia rose 6.9% year-on-year in September 2026, up from a 6.5% increase in August, marking the fastest pace of growth since May. The expansion was led by non-specialised stores (7.9% vs. 7.5% in August), specialised stores selling other household equipment (3.8% vs. 3.5%), automotive fuel in specialised stores (10.6% vs. 8.9%), information and communication equipment in specialised stores (6.8% vs. 4.0%), and food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores (6.3% vs. 6.1%). In contrast, sales of other goods in specialised stores slowed to 6.0% from 6.9%.
On a month-on-month basis, retail sales increased 2.7% in September, accelerating from a 0.5% gain in August and registering the strongest monthly rise in six months. At the same time, wholesale trade growth quickened to 25.3% from 16.6% in August, while motor vehicle sales growth picked up to 13.4% from 10.5%.
