Retail sales in Malaysia rose by 6.5% year-on-year in August 2026, slightly above the 6.4% increase in July, which had been the slowest pace of growth since April. The August upturn was driven mainly by higher sales in non-specialised stores (7.5% vs 7.2% in July), other household equipment in specialised stores (3.5% vs 3.1%), and automotive fuel in specialised stores (8.9% vs 7.5%).
These gains were partially offset by softer growth in several categories: other goods in specialised stores (6.9% vs 7.6%), information and communication equipment in specialised stores (4.0% vs 4.3%), and food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores (6.1% vs 6.4%).
On a month-on-month basis, retail sales increased by 0.5% in August, rebounding from a 1.0% decline in July.
Meanwhile, wholesale trade growth accelerated to a three-month high of 16.5% in August, up from 11.7% in July. Motor vehicle sales growth also strengthened, rising to 10.5% from 9.0% in the previous month.
