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Quarterly Retail Commodity Survey
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The total sales of all commodities in retail stores in the second quarter of 2008 reached $113.6 billion, up 3.4% over the second quarter of 2007.
All major commodity groupings posted year-over-year increases with the exception of motor vehicles, parts and services and housewares.
The largest year-over-year sales increase was for automotive fuels, oils and additives (+22.0%). This was driven mostly by a 17.8% increase in gasoline prices according to the Consumer Price Index. Automotive fuels accounted for almost 12 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores in the second quarter of 2008, about double what it was 10 years ago in the same quarter.
Sales of motor vehicles, parts and services decreased 2.7% in the second quarter of 2008. The main cause of this decline was a 13.4% drop in the value of sales of new trucks (which includes light and heavy trucks, vans, minivans and sport utility vehicles).
However, the value of sales of new cars rose 4.1% during the same period. As for used vehicles, sales were down 3.1%.
Sales growth in the remaining commodities ranged from 1.1% in other goods and services to 5.3% in furniture, home furnishings and electronics. The increase in furniture, home furnishings and electronics was due to sales of home electronics such as televisions and audio/video equipment, telephones and home office electronics.
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 of 2007 but had taken place in the first quarter in 2008. All percentage changes are year-over-year.
Available on CANSIM: tables 080-0018 and 080-0019.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2008.
For more 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.
Table(s).
