PUTRAJAYA, June 12 — Malaysians spent more in April as wholesale and retail trade sales rose 15.3 per cent year-on-year to RM174.8 billion, outpacing a 6.2 per cent increase in the volume of goods sold, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

The stronger growth in sales value compared with volume was recorded across a month in which wholesale trade benefited from higher petroleum prices, while retail and motor vehicle sales also remained on an upward trajectory.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said wholesale trade recorded sales of RM83.5 billion in April, an increase of 24.1 per cent and a volume growth of 7.3 per cent, compared with the same month last year.

“The sales performance in April 2026 was supported by positive growth across all sub-sectors,” he said in a statement issued today.

However, in terms of the volume index, he said wholesale and retail trade recorded a year-on-year increase of 6.2 per cent, driven mainly by the motor vehicles and wholesale trade sub-sectors which grew by 13.6 per cent and 7.3 per cent respectively.

He said retail trade registered sales of RM71.0 billion, an increase of 6.3 per cent or RM4.2 billion year-on-year.

He said the volume in the retail trade registered a 3.9 per cent growth, while on a month-on-month basis, the volume index increased by 0.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the motor vehicles sub-sector recorded sales of RM20.4 billion, an increase of RM2.7 billion, or a growth of 15.5 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Elaborating on the performance of the wholesale trade sub-sector, Mohd Uzir said the growth was mainly led by the other specialised wholesale group, which recorded an increase of RM12.8 billion (53 per cent) in sales to RM37.4  billion.  

Meanwhile, the volume index only saw an increase of 8.6 per cent.  

”The rise in sales value was primarily attributed to higher prices of petroleum products, particularly petrol, diesel and lubricants, following the increase in global crude oil prices,” he said.

He attributed the increase in oil prices to global supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions, which led to higher sales in value terms despite a relatively lower growth in trading volume.

He said higher sales were recorded for construction materials, hardware, plumbing, heating equipment and supplies.

As for the wholesale of household goods, it grew by 8.2 per cent to RM15.4 billion and he attributed this to the continued growth in pharmaceutical and medical goods, electrical and electronics goods, as well as perfumeries and cosmetics.

Meanwhile, wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco increased 6.9 per cent, driven by stronger sales of rice, flour, sugar, dairy products, seafood, meat and poultry products.

”Furthermore, the wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals recorded an 11.7 per cent increase to RM6.8 billion, driven mainly by stronger demand for palm oil and rubber,” he said.

He said the retail trade sub-sector continued to record steady performance in April, led by retail sales in non-specialised stores,   which increased by 6.1 per cent to RM27.3 billion.

”The growth was supported by sustained performance in hypermarkets, mini markets, and convenience stores,” he said.

Sales in specialised retail stores rose 6.8 per cent to RM15 billion, supported by demand for clothing, cosmetics and pet-related products.

Retail sales of automotive fuels increased 12.5 per cent with a volume growth of 5.8 per cent due to higher petrol prices, while retail sales of household equipment rose 3.5 per cent.

The motor vehicles sub-sector was supported by an 18.1 per cent increase in motor vehicle sales to RM10.3 billion.

He said it was in line with data from the Malaysian Automotive Association, which recorded vehicle sales of 72,113 units during the month, while the Road Transport Department registered 77,869 vehicles.

Other motor-related businesses also posted gains, including vehicle parts and accessories sales (9.2 per cent), motorcycle sales and servicing (38.7 per cent), and vehicle maintenance and repair services (9.9 per cent).

Online retail sales also remained on a growth trajectory, with the sales index increasing 7.1 per cent year-on-year, compared with 6.4 per cent in March.

”This performance indicates the continued strength of the e-commerce segment, supported by steady online consumer spending,” he said.

Digital payment activity strengthened further in April, with real-time retail payment transactions rising 29.9 per cent to RM360.7 billion.

”Credit card and debit card transactions increased by 6.3 per cent and 1.3 per cent year-on-year,  respectively,” he said.

Meanwhile, FPX transactions increased 22.9 per cent to RM43.7 billion, while JomPAY transactions rose 3.8 per cent to RM4.9 billion.