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Retail trade
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Retail sales edged up 0.1% to $36.0 billion in July. A sales decline in the automotive sector was offset by higher sales in five of the seven other sectors.
Once price variations for all goods and services sold by retailers are taken into account, retail sales in real terms remained virtually unchanged after decreasing the two previous months.
A 0.6% drop in the automotive sector in July came mainly from new car dealers, who saw their sales decrease for the sixth month in a row. Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers also posted lower sales. Sales at gasoline stations remained essentially unchanged, after reporting strong price-influenced increases since the beginning of the year.
Excluding sales by new car dealers and by used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales were up 0.4% in July. Strong increases of over 1.0% were posted in the furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores sector and the building and outdoor home supplies stores sector. Sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores rose for the fourth straight month, continuing their recovery after slowing during the last six months of 2007.
Retail sales in the Atlantic provinces stand out
New Brunswick (+3.0%) had the strongest gain in retail sales among the provinces in July, posting a fourth straight increase. Sales were also strong in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.
The sales increase in Quebec (+0.7%) was the fourth advance in as many months, while Ontario saw little change in sales in July.
All of the provinces west of Ontario except for Saskatchewan saw their retail sales decrease in July.
Tables of unadjusted data by industry and by province and territory are now available from the By subject module of our website.
For information on related indicators, refer to the Latest statistics page on our website.
Available on CANSIM: tables 080-0014 to 080-0017.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 2406 and 2408.
The July 2008 issue of the publication Retail Trade (63-005-XWE, free) will be available shortly.
Data on retail trade for August will be released on October 22.
For more information, or to order data, contact Client Services (613-951-3549; toll-free 1-877-421-3067; retailinfo@statcan.gc.ca). For analytical information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Claude Bilodeau (613-951-1816), Distributive Trades Division.
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