FX.co ★ Malaysia Retail Sales Growth Hits 13-Month High

Retail sales in Malaysia rose 7.7% year-on-year in February 2026, quickening from a 6.1% increase in January. This marked the strongest growth since January 2025, supported primarily by faster gains at non-specialised stores (10.4% vs 7.9% in January), specialised stores selling other goods (7.4% vs 5.4%), and specialised stores for household equipment (4.3% vs 3.3%). Sales also strengthened for information and communication equipment in specialised stores (4.1% vs 3.9%), as well as for food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores (7.7% vs 5.6%). In contrast, growth eased in sales of cultural and recreational goods in specialised stores (3.0% vs 4.2%). On a month-on-month basis, retail sales slipped 0.2% in February, after a 0.3% decline in January.