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(Photo: The Canadian Press)
Retail sales in Canada rose 0.5% last December to $62.1 billion.
Statistics Canada reports that sales rose in seven out of 11 sub-sectors, which accounted for 75.1% of retail. Sales at auto and parts dealers rose 3.8%, while general stores rose 1.7%.
Core retail sales rose 0.4% in December, led by a 1.7% increase in convenience stores.
A 0.5% increase in grocery store sales also contributed to core retail sales growth. Year-over-year, prices for in-store groceries rose 11%.
On the other hand, building materials, gardening equipment and accessories dealers recorded the largest drop in sales in the core retail sector at 3.8%.
Retail sales rose in four provinces in December, most notably by 1.1% in Quebec, which benefited from a 1.7% increase recorded in the Montreal metropolitan area. However, sales fell across Maritimes: 0.5% in Prince Edward Island, 0.9% in New Brunswick and 1% in Nova Scotia.
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