KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s total sales of wholesale and retail trade increased 5.3 per cent or RM5.5 billion year-on-year (YoY) to RM109.0 billion in February 2020.
Department of Statistics (Dos) said the growth was attributed to higher retail trade at 6.3 per cent or RM2.7 billion during the period.
Similarly, wholesale trade and motor vehicles grew RM2.4 billion (4.9 per cent) and RM0.4 billion (3.5 per cent), respectively.
DoS said volume index of wholesale and retail trade grew 5.4 per cent to reach 127.9 points in February 2020, underpinned by key contributor of retail trade with 6.4 per cent.
“As for seasonally adjusted volume index, it recorded -0.6 per cent as against a month ago,” it added.
For performance across sub-sector, retail trade led the other sub-sectors with YoY growth of 6.3 per cent. Within the same period, wholesale trade expanded 4.9 per cent, while motor vehicles rose 3.5 per cent.
The growth of 5.4 per cent YoY in the volume index of wholesale and retail trade was driven by retail trade (6.4 per cent). This was followed by wholesale trade and motor vehicles with 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively.
DoS said wholesale trade generated sales value of RM52.6 billion in February 2020, increased RM2.4 billion (4.9 per cent) in February 2020.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the expansion was supported by other specialised wholesale (7.0 per cent), wholesale of household goods (6.8 per cent) and wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco (4.3 per cent).
On a monthly comparison, it said sales of this sub-sector registered a negative growth of 5.4 per cent.
Volume index of wholesale trade expanded 4.9 per cent to 124.8 points in February 2020, driven by other specialised wholesale (7.0 per cent) and wholesale of household goods (7.7 percent).
For monthly comparison, seasonally adjusted volume index of this sub-sector registered a negative growth of 0.5 per cent.
DoS said sales of retail trade registered a YoY growth of 6.3 per cent in February 2020, fuelled by retail sale in non-specialised stores which registered (7.5 per cent) and retail sale of other goods in specialised stores (7.6 per cent).
Volume index of retail trade rose 6.4 per cent to 141.4 points in February2020, attributed to retail sale in non-specialised stores which expanded 7.4 per cent.
This was followed by retail sale of other goods in specialised stores of 7.3 per cent. As for seasonally adjusted volume index, it decreased to -0.8 per cent as against January 2020.
Sales value of motor vehicles went up 3.5 per cent in February 2020, supported by sale of motor vehicles (3.3 per cent) and sale of motor vehicles parts and accessories (3.5 per cent).
Compared to January 2020, DoS said sales value showed a negative growth of 9.4 per cent.