OTTAWA -- Wholesale sales in Canada edged down 0.1 per cent to $55.3 billion in August, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.
Economists had expected a gain of 0.2 per cent, according to Thomson Reuters.
In volume terms, wholesale sales fell 0.5 per cent in August.
Statistics Canada said four subsectors, including the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector, were lower.
The machinery, equipment and supplies subsector fell 2.4 per cent to $11.0 billion, its lowest level since April 2014.
The motor vehicle and parts subsector also dropped 1.2 per cent to $10.1 billion, while sales in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector fell 0.4 per cent to $10.7 billion in August.
The miscellaneous subsector rose 4.3 per cent to $7.3 billion, its highest level in four months, while the building material and supplies subsector rose 1.0 per cent to $7.7 billion in August.
Higher sales in the miscellaneous subsector partially offset some of the declines.
Sales were down in six provinces led by Ontario, which saw sales fall 1.1 per cent to $27.7 billion.
Sales in Saskatchewan posted their first increase in eight months as they rose 9.3 per cent to $2.3 billion, boosted by the agricultural supplies industry. Manitoba also increased 5.8 per cent to $1.5 billion.
