The federal agency reports a 4.4% drop in sales at car and parts dealers. (Photo: The Canadian Press)
Ottawa – Retail sales in Canada fell at least 1.4% from last March to $65.3 billion.
Statistics Canada said on Friday that sales fell in five out of nine subsectors, which make up 55.5% of retail sales. The federal agency reports a 4.4% drop in sales at auto and parts dealerships, the first drop in eight months, and a 3.9% drop at gas stations and fuel dealerships.
On the other hand, Statistics Canada recorded a 0.3% increase in core retail sales in March, mainly due to a 1.6% increase in sales at building materials, gardening equipment and supplies retailers.
Retail sales fell in all provinces except British Columbia in March. A decline of 0.9% was recorded in Quebec in March.
In New Brunswick, those sales fell 10.7%, primarily due to the decline in auto and parts dealerships. Retail sales fell 5.2% in Prince Edward Island and 3.3% in Nova Scotia two months ago.
In addition, Statistics Canada is producing a preliminary estimate of retail sales which suggests they rose 0.2% in April, although this figure is still being revised.
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