Building materials lead core retail sales

Retail sales decreased 1.4% to $65.3 billion in March. Sales decreased in five of the nine subsectors, representing 55.5% of retail trade, says Statistics Canada. Core retail sales – which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers – increased 0.3% in March. Core retail sales were led by gains at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, up 1.6% in March. Retail sales decreased in nine provinces. Ontario (1.7%) had the largest provincial decrease. British Columbia (0.9%) was the only province to record an increase in retail sales. On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail eCommerce sales were up 2.2% to $3.8 billion in March, accounting for 5.9% of total retail trade, compared with 5.7% in February.