Canadian retail trade fell by 0.1 per cent in August – the second drop in three months – thanks, in part, to lower sales at gas stations and clothing and accessories stores, according to Statistics Canada.
Data released Friday indicates that retail sales declined to $50.8 billion following a 0.2 per cent increase in July. Sales slumped in seven of 11 subsectors – representing 52 per cent of retail trade – in August, the agency said.
For the first time in six months, clothing stores saw a decrease in sales of -1.1 per cent.
Weaker sales at gas stations offset gains at motor vehicle and parts dealers in the retail sector, according to Statistics Canada. Receipts at gas stations were down 2.0 per cent, which largely reflected lower volumes in August.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers experienced a gain of 0.8 per cent in August – the first time in three months – because of higher sales at new car dealers and at automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores to a lesser extent.
Excluding motor vehicle and parts dealers, overall Canadian retail sales slipped 0.4 per cent, Statistics Canada said.
Across the country, retail sales were down in four provinces with Quebec seeing the largest decrease followed by Saskatchewan. British Columbia and Alberta also posted declines for the month. All of the Atlantic provinces experienced gains in the retail sector while retail sales in New Brunswick grew for the fourth month in a row.
