KUALA LUMPUR (July 10): Malaysian consumers continued to splurge in May but at a slower pace, as wholesale and retail trade moderated during the holidays-filled month.

Wholesale and retail trade totalled RM171.3 billion, an increase of 11% compared with the same month in 2025, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said in a statement. In April, distributive trade rose 15.3% year-on-year, the strongest expansion in nearly four years largely driven by higher prices.

In terms of volume, wholesale and retail trade trailed sales value grew 3.1% against the same month in 2025. On a month-on-month basis, the volume index decreased 1.3%.

Wholesale trade recorded sales of RM80.8 billion, an 18.4% year-on-year increase, driven by higher market prices of petrol, diesel, lubricants and liquefied petroleum gas following a jump in crude oil prices.

There were also higher sales recorded in the wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco, agricultural raw materials and live animals, as well as household goods such as pharmaceutical and medical goods, jewellery, and clothing,

Retail trade expanded 7.2% to RM71.9 billion. Supermarkets and department stores reported better sales and demand for pharmaceutical goods, jewellery, vegetables, fruits and dairy products also rose with Labour Day, Wesak Day, Eid al-Adha, and school holidays in May.

In contrast, the motor vehicles sub-sector declined 2.3% to RM18.6 billion in May from the same month in 2025, dragged down by lower motor vehicle sales.

Online retail sales, meanwhile, remained resilient with the index rising 8.6% year-on-year in May, versus 7.1% in April, driven by steady consumer spending through online platforms.