KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 -- Food and beverage (F&B) kiosks and stalls saw double-digit growth of 13.5 per cent for the whole of 2023 as compared to cafes and restaurants that only recorded a 4.6 per cent growth, according to Retail Group Malaysia.

In its Malaysia Retail Industry Report released in March, it said F&B stalls and kiosks are only expecting a lower growth rate of 4.4 per cent for the first quarter of this year despite a robust growth of 21.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2023.

F&B stalls and kiosks also saw a growth of 15.8 per cent in the last quarter of 2023 while cafes and restaurants only saw a growth of 7.5 per cent in the same period.

"Despite the Chinese New Year festival and higher tourist activities, cafe and rest...