July retail sales inch up

Retail sales increased 0.3% to $66.1 billion in July, says Statistics Canada. Sales increased in seven of the nine subsectors and were led by increases at food and beverage retailers (+1.3%). Core retail sales – which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers – were up 1.3% in July. In volume terms, retail sales edged down 0.2% in July. Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers had sales of $3,879 million in July, down 7% compared to sales of $4,171 million in July 2022.         

Based on respondent feedback, approximately 17% of Canadian retailers reported that their business activities in July had been affected by the strike at the ports in British Columbia. 

Retail sales increased in five provinces in July, led by higher sales in Quebec (+1%) and British Columbia (+1.4%). The largest provincial decrease in July retail sales was observed in Ontario (-0.2%).  

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were up 2.4% to $4 billion in July, accounting for 6% of total retail trade, compared with 5.9% in June.