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Retail trade

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January 2009 (Previous release)

Retail sales rose 1.9% in January to $33.7 billion after declining 5.2% in December, which was the largest monthly decline in more than 15 years. Sales rose in five of the eight retail sectors, led by a 3.8% increase in the automotive sector. In volume terms, retail sales rose 1.8%.

Since peaking in September 2008, the monthly level of retail sales in current dollars has fallen by about 7%. The main contributors to this shift in level were lower unit sales of new motor vehicles and reduced gasoline prices.

Chart 1

right click the chart to save it.

The main contributor to the increase in the automotive sector in January was a 6.4% rise in the value of sales at new car dealers, following a 15.1% decline in December. January's gain reflects a higher number of new motor vehicles sold, according to the New Motor Vehicles Sales Survey. Sales at gasoline stations rose 2.6%, while used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers registered a 1.8% decline.

The two sectors where January's increases more than offset December's declines were food and beverage stores (+2.1%) and pharmacies and personal care stores (+2.0%). These stores mainly sell products (such as food and prescription drugs) whose consumption is less discretionary than other goods sold by retailers such as automobiles and furniture.

Two sectors registered sales declines in January. Sales at building and home supplies stores fell 1.4%, reflecting in part a continued slump in the housing market. Sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores were down 0.7%.

Note to readers

Total retail sales by volume are measured by deflating values in current dollars of the various trade groups using consumer price indexes. This retail sales in chained dollars series (2002) is a chain Fisher volume index with 2002 as the reference year.

Sales up in nine provinces

After declining in every province in November and December, sales rose in all provinces in January except for a 0.6% decrease in Manitoba. None of the increases offset the declines in December.

British Columbia (+3.1%) posted the largest gain, closely followed by Ontario (+3.0%) and Saskatchewan (+2.9%).

Table 1

Retail sales
  January 2008 October 2008r November 2008r December 2008r January 2009p December 2008 to January 2009 January 2008 to January 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
   $ millions % change
Automotive 12,654 12,090 11,300 9,964 10,342 3.8 -18.3
New car dealers 6,635 6,071 5,867 4,982 5,299 6.4 -20.1
Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers 1,694 1,658 1,648 1,569 1,540 -1.8 -9.1
Gasoline stations 4,326 4,361 3,786 3,413 3,503 2.6 -19.0
Furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores 2,587 2,541 2,520 2,452 2,435 -0.7 -5.9
Furniture stores 863 824 826 803 795 -1.0 -7.9
Home furnishings stores 524 495 476 451 449 -0.5 -14.3
Computer and software stores 117 116 110 101 104 3.7 -10.7
Home electronics and appliance stores 1,083 1,105 1,108 1,097 1,086 -1.0 0.3
Building and outdoor home supplies stores 2,265 2,253 2,253 2,129 2,100 -1.4 -7.3
Home centres and hardware stores 1,832 1,832 1,842 1,718 1,686 -1.9 -8.0
Specialized building materials and garden stores 433 421 411 411 414 0.7 -4.4
Food and beverage stores 7,806 8,106 8,163 8,063 8,233 2.1 5.5
Supermarkets 5,590 5,879 5,902 5,856 5,983 2.2 7.0
Convenience and specialty food stores 839 840 848 841 849 0.8 1.1
Beer, wine and liquor stores 1,377 1,387 1,413 1,365 1,402 2.7 1.8
Pharmacies and personal care stores 2,413 2,466 2,460 2,423 2,472 2.0 2.5
Clothing and accessories stores 2,028 1,977 1,975 1,902 1,959 3.0 -3.4
Clothing stores 1,559 1,512 1,518 1,466 1,506 2.7 -3.4
Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores 468 465 456 436 453 3.8 -3.2
General merchandise stores 4,176 4,356 4,341 4,320 4,322 0.0 3.5
Miscellaneous retailers 1,799 1,807 1,816 1,777 1,803 1.5 0.3
Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores 888 882 895 894 901 0.9 1.5
Miscellaneous store retailers 910 925 920 883 902 2.1 -0.9
Total retail sales 35,728 35,594 34,828 33,031 33,666 1.9 -5.8
Total excluding new car dealers, used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers 27,399 27,866 27,313 26,479 26,827 1.3 -2.1
Provinces and territories              
Newfoundland and Labrador 586 613 590 565 571 1.0 -2.7
Prince Edward Island 142 145 142 135 138 2.2 -2.7
Nova Scotia 1,015 1,020 996 962 980 1.8 -3.5
New Brunswick 806 831 805 782 791 1.2 -1.8
Quebec 7,893 8,012 7,894 7,587 7,607 0.3 -3.6
Ontario 12,755 12,631 12,335 11,568 11,914 3.0 -6.6
Manitoba 1,252 1,270 1,248 1,204 1,197 -0.6 -4.4
Saskatchewan 1,172 1,212 1,201 1,127 1,160 2.9 -1.0
Alberta 5,178 5,062 4,949 4,723 4,799 1.6 -7.3
British Columbia 4,797 4,669 4,542 4,255 4,387 3.1 -8.5
Yukon 44 45 43 41 42 4.3 -4.7
Northwest Territories 61 59 57 56 56 -0.1 -9.0
Nunavut 25 26 26 25 25 -0.4 1.4
revised
preliminary
Note(s):
Figures may not add up to total due to rounding.

It is now possible to consult the tables of raw data by industry and by province and territory from the Tables 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 January 2009 issue of Retail Trade (63-005-XWE, free) will be available shortly.

Data on retail trade for February will be released on April 23.

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 Serge Grenier (613-951-3566), Distributive Trades Division.

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Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Retail trade

January 2009 (Previous release)

Retail sales rose 1.9% in January to $33.7 billion after declining 5.2% in December, which was the largest monthly decline in more than 15 years. Sales rose in five of the eight retail sectors, led by a 3.8% increase in the automotive sector. In volume terms, retail sales rose 1.8%.

Since peaking in September 2008, the monthly level of retail sales in current dollars has fallen by about 7%. The main contributors to this shift in level were lower unit sales of new motor vehicles and reduced gasoline prices.

Chart 1

right click the chart to save it.

The main contributor to the increase in the automotive sector in January was a 6.4% rise in the value of sales at new car dealers, following a 15.1% decline in December. January's gain reflects a higher number of new motor vehicles sold, according to the New Motor Vehicles Sales Survey. Sales at gasoline stations rose 2.6%, while used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers registered a 1.8% decline.

The two sectors where January's increases more than offset December's declines were food and beverage stores (+2.1%) and pharmacies and personal care stores (+2.0%). These stores mainly sell products (such as food and prescription drugs) whose consumption is less discretionary than other goods sold by retailers such as automobiles and furniture.

Two sectors registered sales declines in January. Sales at building and home supplies stores fell 1.4%, reflecting in part a continued slump in the housing market. Sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores were down 0.7%.

Note to readers

Total retail sales by volume are measured by deflating values in current dollars of the various trade groups using consumer price indexes. This retail sales in chained dollars series (2002) is a chain Fisher volume index with 2002 as the reference year.

Sales up in nine provinces

After declining in every province in November and December, sales rose in all provinces in January except for a 0.6% decrease in Manitoba. None of the increases offset the declines in December.

British Columbia (+3.1%) posted the largest gain, closely followed by Ontario (+3.0%) and Saskatchewan (+2.9%).

Table 1

Retail sales
  January 2008 October 2008r November 2008r December 2008r January 2009p December 2008 to January 2009 January 2008 to January 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
   $ millions % change
Automotive 12,654 12,090 11,300 9,964 10,342 3.8 -18.3
New car dealers 6,635 6,071 5,867 4,982 5,299 6.4 -20.1
Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers 1,694 1,658 1,648 1,569 1,540 -1.8 -9.1
Gasoline stations 4,326 4,361 3,786 3,413 3,503 2.6 -19.0
Furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores 2,587 2,541 2,520 2,452 2,435 -0.7 -5.9
Furniture stores 863 824 826 803 795 -1.0 -7.9
Home furnishings stores 524 495 476 451 449 -0.5 -14.3
Computer and software stores 117 116 110 101 104 3.7 -10.7
Home electronics and appliance stores 1,083 1,105 1,108 1,097 1,086 -1.0 0.3
Building and outdoor home supplies stores 2,265 2,253 2,253 2,129 2,100 -1.4 -7.3
Home centres and hardware stores 1,832 1,832 1,842 1,718 1,686 -1.9 -8.0
Specialized building materials and garden stores 433 421 411 411 414 0.7 -4.4
Food and beverage stores 7,806 8,106 8,163 8,063 8,233 2.1 5.5
Supermarkets 5,590 5,879 5,902 5,856 5,983 2.2 7.0
Convenience and specialty food stores 839 840 848 841 849 0.8 1.1
Beer, wine and liquor stores 1,377 1,387 1,413 1,365 1,402 2.7 1.8
Pharmacies and personal care stores 2,413 2,466 2,460 2,423 2,472 2.0 2.5
Clothing and accessories stores 2,028 1,977 1,975 1,902 1,959 3.0 -3.4
Clothing stores 1,559 1,512 1,518 1,466 1,506 2.7 -3.4
Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores 468 465 456 436 453 3.8 -3.2
General merchandise stores 4,176 4,356 4,341 4,320 4,322 0.0 3.5
Miscellaneous retailers 1,799 1,807 1,816 1,777 1,803 1.5 0.3
Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores 888 882 895 894 901 0.9 1.5
Miscellaneous store retailers 910 925 920 883 902 2.1 -0.9
Total retail sales 35,728 35,594 34,828 33,031 33,666 1.9 -5.8
Total excluding new car dealers, used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers 27,399 27,866 27,313 26,479 26,827 1.3 -2.1
Provinces and territories              
Newfoundland and Labrador 586 613 590 565 571 1.0 -2.7
Prince Edward Island 142 145 142 135 138 2.2 -2.7
Nova Scotia 1,015 1,020 996 962 980 1.8 -3.5
New Brunswick 806 831 805 782 791 1.2 -1.8
Quebec 7,893 8,012 7,894 7,587 7,607 0.3 -3.6
Ontario 12,755 12,631 12,335 11,568 11,914 3.0 -6.6
Manitoba 1,252 1,270 1,248 1,204 1,197 -0.6 -4.4
Saskatchewan 1,172 1,212 1,201 1,127 1,160 2.9 -1.0
Alberta 5,178 5,062 4,949 4,723 4,799 1.6 -7.3
British Columbia 4,797 4,669 4,542 4,255 4,387 3.1 -8.5
Yukon 44 45 43 41 42 4.3 -4.7
Northwest Territories 61 59 57 56 56 -0.1 -9.0
Nunavut 25 26 26 25 25 -0.4 1.4
revised
preliminary
Note(s):
Figures may not add up to total due to rounding.

It is now possible to consult the tables of raw data by industry and by province and territory from the Tables 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 January 2009 issue of Retail Trade (63-005-XWE, free) will be available shortly.

Data on retail trade for February will be released on April 23.

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 Serge Grenier (613-951-3566), Distributive Trades Division.