Retail sales in Malaysia rose by 6.1% year-on-year in January 2026, slowing from a 6.9% increase in the previous month. This was the weakest growth since August 2025 due to softer sales across most groups, particularly non-specialised stores (7.9% vs 9.3% in December), other goods in specialised stores (5.4% vs 5.6%), automotive fuel in specialised stores (7.0% vs 7.4%), information and communication equipment in specialised stores (3.9% vs 5.9%), and food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores (5.6% vs 6.5%). Meanwhile, sales growth accelerated slightly for other household equipment in specialised stores (3.3% vs 3.1%) and cultural and recreational goods in specialised stores (4.2% vs 3.9%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell by 0.3% in January, reversing a 2.0% increase in December.