Malaysia Retail Sales at 4-Month High

Retail sales in Malaysia increased by 5.6% year-on-year in July 2025, edging up from a 5.4% rise in the previous month. This marked the strongest growth since March, as sales accelerated for automotive fuel in specialized stores (6.6% vs 6% in June) and other goods (7.6% vs 5.9%). On the other hand, trade moderated for food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores (6.1% vs 6.5%), information and communication equipment (3.3% vs 4.1%), other household equipment (3.6% vs 3.8%), cultural and recreation goods (3% vs 3.4%), sales via stalls and markets (5.5% vs 5.8%), and sales in non-specialized stores (5.5% vs 5.7%). On a monthly basis, retail activity fell by 0.8% in July 2025, reversing a 0.7% gain in the previous month.