November retail sales ease down

Retail sales decreased 0.2 percent to $66.6 billion in November. Sales were down in four of nine subsectors and were led by decreases at food and beverage retailers (-1.4 percent). Core retail sales – which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers – were down 0.6 percent in November. In volume terms, retail sales decreased 0.2 percent in November. 

Retail sales for building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers               were $3.99 billion in November, down 3.3 percent from $3.87 in November of 2022. Sales at furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers were up three percent year over year to $3.62 billion, led by sales at electronics and appliance retailers at $1.64 billion, up 11.7 percent year over year. Floor covering, window treatment and other home furnishing retailers’ sales were down 2.6 percent year over year to $726 million. 

Retail sales decreased in five provinces in November with the largest provincial decrease in Quebec (-1.4 percent). The largest provincial increase in retail sales was observed in British Columbia at 0.7 percent.  

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were down 1.5 percent to $3.9 billion in November, accounting for 5.8 percent of total retail trade, compared with 5.9 percent in October.