KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 ― Malaysia’s wholesale and retail sales increased by 9.8% year-on-year (year-on-year) to RM123.8 billion in March 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
On a quarterly basis, wholesale and retail sales hit a record high of RM361.0 billion in the first quarter, up 8.6%.
“The 8.6% increase in the first quarter of this year for wholesale and retail trade was supported by the retail trade sub-sector which grew by RM12.7 billion or 9.4% to reach RM147.6 billion.
“This was followed by wholesale which increased by 6.8% or RM11.0 billion to reach RM171.7 billion. The motor vehicle sub-sector grew by 13.0% or RM4.8 billion to reach RM41.8 billion during this quarter,” Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd said today. Uzir Mahidin in a statement.
In quarterly comparison, this sector increased by 1.9%.
The Chief Statistician noted that the Internet Retail Sales Index for March 2022 recorded a year-on-year growth of 17.0% (February 2022: 18.4%).
For the seasonally adjusted value, the index fell -1.7% from the previous month, with the index registering a year-on-year growth of 18.6% in the first quarter of 2022.
In terms of volume index, wholesale and retail trade for March 2022 recorded year-on-year growth of 4.8%.
As for March, the increase in wholesale and retail trade was attributed to the retail trade sub-sector which increased by RM4.9 billion or 10.8% to RM49.9 billion. .
Wholesale trade also increased by 8.6% or RM4.5 billion to RM57.2 billion and during the same period motor vehicles jumped by 11.1% or 1.7 billion RM to reach 16.7 billion RM.
On performance across all subsectors, Mohd Uzir said the retail subsector’s growth of 10.8% in March 2022 was supported by retail sales at non-specialty stores which increased by 16.2% or RM2.6 billion to reach RM18.7 billion.
Similarly, other groups within this sub-sector also recorded positive growth, namely retail sales in specialty stores at 7.5%, retail sales of housewares (9.6%), retail sales of motor fuels (7.8%), retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco (9.9 percent).
The other sectors are the retail trade of cultural and leisure goods (11.4%), the retail trade not in stores, stalls or markets (26.5%), the retail trade of information and communication (1.5%) and stand-alone retail. and market (11.8 percent). ― Bernama
