Wholesale trade
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Wholesale sales fell 0.4% to $49.0 billion in November, following six months of consecutive increases. Lower sales in the agricultural supplies industry and the motor vehicle industry contributed to the decline.
In volume terms, wholesale sales fell 0.8% in November.
Wholesale sales decrease in November
Chart description: Wholesale sales decrease in November
Three out of seven subsectors post declines
In November, three out of seven subsectors reported declines, with lower sales in the miscellaneous subsector and the motor vehicle and parts subsector contributing to most of the decrease.
The largest sales decrease was observed in the miscellaneous subsector. Sales in this subsector fell 4.4% to $6.6 billion in November, the lowest sales level since April 2011. All of the component industries were down, with the agricultural supplies (-8.2%) and the other miscellaneous industries (-5.6%) accounting for most of the decline.
Sales in the motor vehicle and parts subsector fell 1.1%, the first decrease in five months. The motor vehicle industry (-1.6%), which accounts for 75% of the subsector, was entirely responsible for the decline.
Wholesale sales in the building material and supplies subsector (-0.5%) also registered a decrease.
The largest increase in dollar terms occurred in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector, which gained 1.3% in November. Of the four component industries, two reported increases. The construction, forestry, mining, and industrial machinery, equipment and supplies industry posted a 2.6% increase. Sales in this industry have risen 16.5% since the beginning of the year. The computer and communications equipment and supplies industry recorded a 2.7% increase for the month.
Note to readers
All the data in this release are seasonally adjusted and in current dollars, unless otherwise noted.
Wholesale sales expressed in volume are calculated by deflating current dollar values using import and industry product price indexes. Since many of the goods sold by wholesalers are imported, fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar can have an important influence on the prices of goods bought and sold by wholesalers.
The wholesale sales series in chained (2002) dollars is a chained Fisher volume index with 2002 as the reference year.
Lower sales in six provinces
Wholesale sales fell in six provinces in November, with Saskatchewan, Quebec and Alberta accounting for most of the national decrease.
Sales in Saskatchewan decreased 5.0% to $1.9 billion in November, after large gains the previous two months. Lower sales in the agricultural supplies industry contributed to this decline.
In Quebec, sales fell 0.6% in November, after a similar decline in October.
In Alberta, sales decreased 0.7% in November, following a 4.5% advance in October. This is the province's first decline in seven months.
Sales in Ontario edged down 0.1% for the month.
Inventories down slightly
Inventories edged down 0.1% to $57.7 billion in November, posting their first decrease in 11 months.
Inventories edge down in November
Chart description: Inventories edge down in November
Overall, 13 of the 25 wholesale industries registered lower inventories. Wholesalers in the motor vehicle industry (-3.8%) and the personal goods industry (-5.0%) reported the largest decreases in dollar terms.
The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.18 in November from 1.17 in October.
The inventory-to-sales ratio is a measure of the time in months required to exhaust inventories if sales were to remain at their current level.
Available on CANSIM: tables 081-0011 to 081-0013.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2401.
The November 2011 issue of Wholesale Trade (63-008-X, free) will soon be available.
Wholesale trade data for December will be released on February 21.
To obtain data, or for more information, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-421-3067; 613-951-3549; wholesaleinfo@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Steve Chadder (613-951-0303; steve.chadder@statcan.gc.ca), Distributive Trades Division.
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