Mar 22, 2024
January core retail sales achieve slight gains
Retail sales decreased 0.3 percent to $67 billion in January. Sales were down in three of nine subsectors and were led by decreases at motor vehicle and parts dealers (-2.4 percent), says Statistics Canada. Core retail sales – which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers – were up 0.4 percent in January. In volume terms, retail sales increased 0.2 percent in January.
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers sales were up 2.2 percent over December, and 0.1 percent January 2022.
Retail sales decreased in four provinces in January, led by lower sales in British Columbia (-2.2 percent) and Quebec (-1.0 percent). The largest provincial increase in retail sales in January was observed in Ontario (+0.5 percent).
On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were up 3.5 percent to $3.8 billion in January, accounting for 5.7 percent of total retail trade, compared with 5.5 percent in December.
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