Malaysia's wholesale and retail sales surge 15.9pct to RM183.1bil in September

Malaysia's wholesale and retail trade sales surged 15.9 percent to RM183.1 billion in September, compared to RM158 billion in the same period last year, according to the Statistics Department. This growth was driven by double-digit expansion across all three subsectors, with an accompanying 5.5 percent increase in the sector's volume index.

Wholesale trade led the growth, with sales surging 25.3 percent to RM89 billion from RM71.1 billion last year. The specialized wholesale group contributed significantly, expanding 56.7 percent to RM40.4 billion. This increase was fueled by higher sales of petrol, diesel, lubricants, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), pharmaceutical and medical goods, electrical and electronics products, clothing, rice, other grains, flour, sugar, fish, and other seafood.

Retail trade sales also rose 6.9 percent to RM73.7 billion from RM68.9 billion. Non-specialized stores saw a 7.9 percent increase in retail sales, driven by supermarkets and mini markets. Sales of pharmaceutical and medical goods, perfumes and cosmetics, and automotive fuel in specialized stores also saw growth. The motor vehicles subsector, a key part of retail sales, recorded a 13.4 percent increase in sales to RM20.5 billion, driven by a 17.3 percent rise in motor vehicle sales.