KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11): Malaysian consumer spending decelerated further, but still grew at a brisk pace in July as wholesale trade picked up amid rising prices, official data showed.

Wholesale and retail trade in July totalled RM170.5 billion, an increase of 9% when compared to the same month in 2025, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said in a statement. The rate is lower than June’s 10.1% year-on-year growth.

On a month-on-month basis, however, distributive trade expanded 1.2% after a 1.6% contraction in June.

Overall, wholesale and retail trade was supported by “wholesale trade activity, resilient household consumption, favourable automotive sales and promotional activities, demand for vehicle-related services and parts, as well as the expansion of online retail,” the department said.

Retail trade recorded sales of RM71.3 billion, a 6.4% year-on-year increase, driven by sales at hypermarkets, mini markets, and convenience stores, as well as retail at specialised stores such as pharmaceutical and medical goods, as well as jewellery.

The wholesale sector saw a 11.7% rise in sales to RM78.4 billion from a year earlier mainly due to higher prices of petrol, diesel and lubricants following a jump in global crude oil prices, despite a relatively lower growth in volume.

A separate automotive segment, meanwhile, rose 7.9% year-on-year to RM10.7 billion in July, thanks to higher sales of vehicles, parts and accessories, and maintenance services.

In terms of volume, wholesale and retail trade also slowed, growing at 4.1% in July compared to June’s 5.1% increase. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume index increased 1.0% month-on-month.

The index for retail sales over the internet rose 7.4% year-on-year in July from a year earlier, reflecting sustained demand through e-commerce platforms and the growing role of digital channels in supporting retail activity alongside physical stores.