Quarterly Retail Commodity Survey

Since the beginning of 2005 and continuing into the first quarter of 2006, rising fuel prices at the pump have caused consumers to spend proportionately more of their retail dollar on automotive fuels, oils and additives.

Consumers spent $8.3 billion on automotive fuels, oils and additives in retail stores in the first quarter of 2006, up 14.2% over the same quarter last year. This was due in part to an 11.2% increase in the price of gasoline over the same period.

Automotive fuels, oils and additives accounted for 10 cents of every retail dollar in the first quarter of 2006, the fifth consecutive quarter that automotive fuels, oils and additives represented at least 9 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores. In comparison, in 2003, this commodity represented 8 cents of every retail dollar.

Consumers spent $82.7 billion on goods and services in retail stores in the first quarter of 2006, up 6.5% over the first quarter of 2005. The commodities which contributed the most to the increase were automotive fuels, oils and additives and motor vehicles, parts and services.

Sales of motor vehicles, parts and services amounted to $18.1 billion in the first quarter, up 4.8% over the same quarter last year. New vehicle sales grew by 5.4%, sales of used vehicles were up 2.0% while sales of automotive parts and services (including tires) rose 7.6% over last year.

The strength of the housing market continued to boost sales of furniture, home furnishings and electronics, as well as hardware, lawn and garden products.

Consumers spent $7.7 billion on furniture, home furnishings and electronics in retail stores, climbing 10.6% over the first quarter of 2005, and the largest increase since the second quarter of 2002. This advance was due to rising demand for home furnishings (+13.8 %) such as floor coverings, draperies, bedding and artwork and for indoor furniture (+13.5%). Sales of household appliances were also strong, up 9.7%, and sales of home electronics, such as televisions, cameras, computer hardware and software and telephones, increased 6.9%.

Compared to the same quarter last year, sales of hardware, lawn and garden products rose 13.2% to $4.6 billion. This advance was due to a 14.2% jump in sales of hardware and home renovation products, the largest gain since the third quarter of 2003. Within this category, sales of lumber and other building materials were particularly strong, up 22.5%.

Sales of clothing, footwear and accessories rose 7.1% from the first quarter of 2005, the biggest increase since the beginning of the series in 1999. This growth was due largely to a surge in sales of women's clothing (+7.6%). Men's clothing sales were also up (+4.8%) but those of children's clothing declined slightly. All categories of clothing experienced a decline in prices in the first quarter of 2006 compared to the first quarter of 2005.

While sales of many commodities registered their best performance in some time, sales of food and beverages registered their lowest year-over-year growth (+2.6%) since the second quarter of 2002. Food and beverages represented 23 cents of every retail dollar in the first quarter of 2006. The market share for food and beverage stores declined one percentage point from the same quarter of 2005, while general merchandisers (which include department stores) gained one percentage point.

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. For example, no adjustment has been made for Easter, which occurred in the second quarter in 2006 but took place in the first quarter in 2005. 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 (toll-free 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.