Study: How the provinces fared in retail trade

View the most recent version.

Canadian retailers on the whole had a banner year in 2007, as the annual rate of growth in their sales was the second highest in five years.

Retailers sold an estimated $412.0 billion worth of goods and services in 2007, up 5.8%. For the first time, employment in the retail trade industry reached parity with employment in manufacturing, according to a year-end review published today in the Analysis in Brief series.

Provincially, retail sales in Saskatchewan surged 13.0%, twice the rate of growth in 2006. This was the largest increase in the nation for 2007 and Saskatchewan's fastest annual growth rate since the series first began in 1991.

Retailers in Alberta slipped from first to second place in 2007 with a 9.3% increase in sales, in contrast to their double-digit growth of the previous three years. Retailers in Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba were close behind.

At the national level, 3 of the 18 retail trade groups posted double-digit growth rates in 2007: home furnishings stores; gasoline stations; and home electronics and appliance stores. The three largest retail trade groups (new car dealers, supermarkets and general merchandise stores) all recorded sales gains below the overall average for total retail sales.

Nationally, for every $100 consumers spent in retail stores in 2007, $18.70 went to new car dealers; $16.00 to supermarkets; $11.80 to general merchandise stores; $11.30 to gasoline stations; and $6.90 to pharmacies and personal care stores. The remainder was spent in other trade groups.

The provinces: Year of firsts for Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan recorded a year of firsts in many respects in 2007, fuelled by a growing resource economy and significant population growth. For the first time since this retail trade statistical series began in 1991, Saskatchewan ranked first in the annual rate of growth for retail sales.

Sales in Saskatchewan increased 13.0% to $13.0 billion, twice the growth rate of 2006. It was the first time that its growth rate exceeded the 10% mark. Prior to 2007, sales in Saskatchewan had been steadily rising at an annual average pace of 4.6%, after a pause in 1998.

Alberta slid to second place in 2007 after leading the provinces in annual retail sales growth for three consecutive years. Still, its retail sales grew by a healthy 9.3% to $61.2 billion.

Retail sales rebounded in Newfoundland and Labrador after the weakest increase in sales among the provinces in 2006. Newfoundland and Labrador's 9.0% increase in sales was due mainly to the automotive sector.

Sales gains surpassed the national average in only three other provinces: Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia.

In Central Canada, the pace of growth was below the national average in both Ontario and Quebec.

Ontario retailers experienced the lowest increase in Canada in 2007, as sales rose 3.9% to $146.3 billion. As a result, Ontario's share of the national total declined to 35.5%, compared with 38.7% in 2000.

The below-average growth in Quebec occurred despite record sales gains for the province's pharmacies and personal care stores. Retail sales in Quebec reached $90.7 billion in 2007, up 4.6%. It was the fourth consecutive year in which the gain was below the national average.

Employment in retail and manufacturing hit parity for the first time

For the first time in 2007, the retail trade industry had as many employees as the manufacturing sector in Canada.

Employment edged up in the retail sector in 2007, while it declined again in the manufacturing sector, according to the Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2406.

The study "Retail trade: How the provinces fared in 2007" is now available online as part of the Analysis in Brief (11-621-MWE2008071, free) series, from the Publications module of our website.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Serge Grenier (613-951-3566), Distributive Trades Division.

Table(s).