Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Retail trade
Related subjects
Retail sales rose 0.7% in January to $35.7 billion. Stores selling home improvement products were large contributors to the gain in January, the final month of the federal government's Home Renovation Tax Credit.
Retail sales in volume terms increased 0.1% in January. The large increase in prices, which impacted volumes, was driven by significantly higher prices at new car dealers and gasoline stations. Retail sales volumes have been following an upward trend since the beginning of 2009.
Sales increased in six of eight retail store sectors in January. The largest contributor to the overall increase was a 7.4% rise at building and outdoor home supplies stores, the highest monthly growth rate for this type of store since August 2003 when a power blackout hit Ontario. Within the sector, home centres and hardware stores saw sales rise 6.0% and specialized building material and garden stores sales increase 14.0%.
Sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores rose 2.5%, mainly as a result of a 15.1% gain at home furnishings stores, particularly those selling floor coverings. January's growth at home furnishings stores was the highest since the beginning of the series in 1991.
Food and beverage stores registered a 1.9% rise in sales in January, led by a 2.0% increase at supermarkets. This gain more than offset the decrease observed in December. Sales at beer, wine and liquor stores (+2.2%) were up after three consecutive months of declines.
The 1.1% rise at miscellaneous retailers was led by a 3.3% gain at sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores.
After two months of large weather-related fluctuations, clothing and accessories stores saw their sales increase 0.5% in January. Sales rose 1.3% at shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores and 0.2% at clothing stores.
Sales declined 1.5% in the automotive sector in January. The value of sales at new car dealers (-2.3%) fell for a third consecutive month after following an upward trend for most of 2009. About 40% of the sales at new car dealers come from selling used vehicles, parts and service. Used and recreational motor vehicles and parts dealers (-6.0%) had lower sales after monthly gains for the previous eight months. Gasoline stations (+1.5%) registered higher sales driven solely by higher prices at the pump.
Sales up in seven provinces
Retail sales rose in seven provinces in January. The largest contributor to the national increase was Ontario, where sales rose 1.4% after slight declines in the previous two months.
The highest growth rate among the provinces in January was a 2.1% rise in Newfoundland and Labrador. January's rise offset declines in the previous two months.
Note to readers
All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and are expressed in current dollars unless otherwise specified.
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.
Starting with the next release, estimates for the Monthly Retail Trade Survey will reflect a new sample. In addition, the presentation of results will change from the Trade Groups to the North American Industry Classification System (see concordance table).
Current tables 080-0014 to 080-0017 will be terminated and replaced by new CANSIM matrices 080-0020 and 080-0021. Estimates for February 2010 as well as estimates from January 2004 will be available in these new CANSIM tables in the next release.
The largest decline was a 1.2% decrease in New Brunswick. Monthly sales growth has been fluctuating since the second half of 2009.
Table 1
| January 2009 | October 2009r | November 2009r | December 2009r | January 2010p | December 2009 to January 2010 | January 2009 to January 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally adjusted | |||||||
| $ millions | % change | ||||||
| Automotive | 10,280 | 11,554 | 11,547 | 11,640 | 11,464 | -1.5 | 11.5 |
| New car dealers | 5,266 | 6,126 | 5,988 | 5,965 | 5,826 | -2.3 | 10.6 |
| Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers | 1,549 | 1,598 | 1,608 | 1,627 | 1,530 | -6.0 | -1.3 |
| Gasoline stations | 3,464 | 3,830 | 3,952 | 4,048 | 4,108 | 1.5 | 18.6 |
| Furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores | 2,412 | 2,430 | 2,444 | 2,459 | 2,520 | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| Furniture stores | 784 | 809 | 811 | 824 | 816 | -0.9 | 4.1 |
| Home furnishings stores | 452 | 490 | 489 | 479 | 552 | 15.1 | 22.0 |
| Computer and software stores | 105 | 104 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Home electronics and appliance stores | 1,071 | 1,027 | 1,037 | 1,048 | 1,043 | -0.4 | -2.6 |
| Building and outdoor home supplies stores | 2,123 | 2,288 | 2,352 | 2,326 | 2,499 | 7.4 | 17.7 |
| Home centres and hardware stores | 1,708 | 1,883 | 1,915 | 1,903 | 2,017 | 6.0 | 18.1 |
| Specialized building materials and garden stores | 415 | 405 | 436 | 423 | 482 | 14.0 | 16.3 |
| Food and beverage stores | 8,270 | 8,233 | 8,261 | 8,202 | 8,357 | 1.9 | 1.0 |
| Supermarkets | 6,011 | 5,919 | 5,980 | 5,938 | 6,056 | 2.0 | 0.7 |
| Convenience and specialty food stores | 841 | 845 | 853 | 853 | 859 | 0.7 | 2.1 |
| Beer, wine and liquor stores | 1,418 | 1,469 | 1,428 | 1,411 | 1,441 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Pharmacies and personal care stores | 2,469 | 2,555 | 2,542 | 2,524 | 2,531 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| Clothing and accessories stores | 1,964 | 1,977 | 1,902 | 1,951 | 1,960 | 0.5 | -0.2 |
| Clothing stores | 1,506 | 1,509 | 1,471 | 1,493 | 1,496 | 0.2 | -0.7 |
| Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores | 457 | 468 | 431 | 458 | 464 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| General merchandise stores | 4,319 | 4,447 | 4,313 | 4,432 | 4,432 | 0.0 | 2.6 |
| Miscellaneous retailers | 1,814 | 1,877 | 1,870 | 1,879 | 1,900 | 1.1 | 4.8 |
| Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores | 905 | 939 | 898 | 927 | 957 | 3.3 | 5.7 |
| Miscellaneous store retailers | 909 | 938 | 971 | 952 | 943 | -0.9 | 3.8 |
| Total retail sales | 33,651 | 35,360 | 35,230 | 35,412 | 35,662 | 0.7 | 6.0 |
| Total excluding automotive sector | 23,371 | 23,805 | 23,683 | 23,771 | 24,199 | 1.8 | 3.5 |
| Total excluding new car dealers, used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers | 26,835 | 27,635 | 27,635 | 27,820 | 28,307 | 1.8 | 5.5 |
| Provinces and territories | |||||||
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 570 | 632 | 624 | 618 | 631 | 2.1 | 10.6 |
| Prince Edward Island | 140 | 145 | 148 | 148 | 151 | 1.6 | 7.8 |
| Nova Scotia | 970 | 1,049 | 1,058 | 1,051 | 1,055 | 0.4 | 8.8 |
| New Brunswick | 797 | 847 | 839 | 852 | 841 | -1.2 | 5.6 |
| Quebec | 7,591 | 8,091 | 8,069 | 8,164 | 8,196 | 0.4 | 8.0 |
| Ontario | 11,986 | 12,667 | 12,601 | 12,583 | 12,759 | 1.4 | 6.5 |
| Manitoba | 1,203 | 1,279 | 1,276 | 1,284 | 1,286 | 0.2 | 6.9 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,154 | 1,188 | 1,176 | 1,184 | 1,181 | -0.2 | 2.4 |
| Alberta | 4,730 | 4,686 | 4,675 | 4,763 | 4,799 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| British Columbia | 4,387 | 4,642 | 4,627 | 4,635 | 4,634 | 0.0 | 5.6 |
| Yukon | 42 | 45 | 46 | 45 | 45 | -0.9 | 6.2 |
| Northwest Territories | 56 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 57 | -1.0 | 2.6 |
| Nunavut | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | -1.5 | 4.1 |
It is possible to consult the tables of unadjusted 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 2010 issue of the publication Retail Trade (63-005-X, 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 Jake Purdy (613-951-0984), Distributive Trades Division.
