ANN/THE STAR – Malaysia’s wholesale and retail trade sector recorded total sales of MYR148.3 billion in February 2025, marking a year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of 5.1 per cent, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase in sales for February was mainly driven by the retail trade and wholesale trade sub-sectors.
“Retail trade recorded total sales of MYR65.2 billion, an increase of MYR3.6 billion with a y-o-y growth of 5.9 per cent. Wholesale trade registered total sales of MYR65.5 billion, an increase of MYR3.3 billion, with a y-o-y growth of 5.3 per cent.
“During the same period, the motor vehicles sub-sector recorded sales amounting to MYR17.6 billion, an increase of MYR300.0 million or 1.5 per cent y-o-y,” he said in a statement.
He said the growth in the retail trade sub-sector was primarily driven by robust performance across various categories, such as non-specialised stores, which increased by 5.9 per cent to MYR25.0 billion, while retail sales in specialised stores saw a growth of 5.5 per cent, reaching MYR13.8 billion in February 2025.
Mohd Uzir added that the retail sales of household goods rose by 4.6 per cent to MYR7.4 billion, with the growth largely attributed to increased demand for building materials and hardware products.
“The surge in retail activities can be largely explained by pre-Ramadhan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri purchases of essential items.
“Moreover, the retail sales of cultural and recreational goods increased by 8.6 per cent, reaching MYR2.9 billion, contributed by heightened spending on school supplies ahead of the new academic session, which began in mid-February,” he said.
Mohd Uzir also said that in February 2025, the wholesale trade sub-sector growth in the wholesale trade sub-sector continued to display strong resilience, underpinned by sustained domestic demand for essential goods and household-related products.
