Quarterly Retail Commodity Survey

Powered largely by a 22.3% increase in the price of gasoline, the share of retail spending on automotive fuels, oils and additives reached a historical peak in the third quarter of 2005.

Sales by retailers of automotive fuels, oils and additives in the third quarter of 2005 rose to a record $9.7 billion, or 10 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores, a 26.0% increase over the same quarter a year earlier. By comparison, in 2004 this commodity group represented only 8 cents of every retail dollar spent.

In total, consumers spent $96.4 billion on goods and services in retail stores in the third quarter of 2005, up 7.2% over the third quarter of 2004. Except for the large increase in automotive fuels, oils and additives, all other commodity groups showed more modest increases, ranging from 2.3% for all other goods and services (which includes items such as tobacco and pet food) to 7.9% for hardware, lawn and garden products.

Consumers dealt with the increase in spending on automotive fuels, oils and additives by spending fewer cents per retail dollar on all other major commodity groups, except for hardware, lawn and garden products. The commodity groups with the most significant year-over-year declines were all other goods and services as well as clothing, footwear and accessories.

With sales of $7.1 billion, hardware, lawn and garden products registered the second highest year-over-year increase (+7.9%) of all the major commodity groups in the third quarter of 2005. This represented 7 cents of every retail dollar in the third quarter compared to 8 cents in the second quarter of 2005. Within the hardware, lawn and garden products category, the largest component, hardware and home renovation products, rose 7.8% in the third quarter compared to the same quarter of 2004.

Sales of clothing, footwear and accessories were $7.4 billion in the third quarter, up 3.0% over the same quarter in 2004. Women's clothing sales rose 4.1% and men's clothing sales were up 3.0%, while children's clothing dropped 3.9%. The prices for women's clothing increased 0.6% compared with the same quarter a year earlier, while the prices for men's (-0.7%) and children's (-1.9%) clothing declined. Prices for children's clothing have declined significantly (-13.6%) since the third quarter of 2000.

Speciality clothing stores saw their sales of clothing, footwear and accessories increase 3.9% in the third quarter over the same quarter in 2004. However, in general merchandise stores (which include department stores) sales of clothing declined 1.5% over the same period.

General merchandisers have been losing market share for clothing, footwear and accessories over recent years. In the third quarter of 2000, the market share for this commodity group in general merchandise stores was 28%; by the third quarter of 2005, it had dropped to 25%.

Sales of motor vehicles, parts and services amounted to $21.4 billion in the third quarter, up 6.5% over the same quarter of 2004. Incentive programs offered by dealers and manufacturers for new vehicles (cars, trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles) drove up sales of new vehicles by 7.4%. Sales of used vehicles increased 2.8% compared with the same quarter of 2004 and sales of automotive parts and services (including tires) rose 9.9%.

Note: The Quarterly Retail Commodity Survey collects national level retail sales by commodity, from a sub-sample of businesses in the Monthly Retail Trade Survey. Quarterly data have not been adjusted for seasonality. All percentage changes are year-over-year.

Available on CANSIM: table 080-0018.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2008.

For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (1-877-421-3067; 613-951-3549; retailinfo@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Ruth Barnes (613-951-6190), Distributive Trades Division.