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Retail Services Price Index, second quarter 2014

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Released: 2014-12-10

The Retail Services Price Index (RSPI) increased 1.8% in the second quarter, the largest quarter-over-quarter increase since the second quarter of 2008. Of the 10 major retail sectors, 8 were up and 2 were down.

Chart 1  Chart 1: Retail Services Price Index  - Description and data table
Retail Services Price Index

Chart 1: Retail Services Price Index  - Description and data table

Retail margins for gasoline stations rose 5.3%. Margin increases were moderated at gasoline stations with convenience stores (+1.0%) as a result of declining margins for convenience store goods, while other gasoline stations rose 7.1% because of higher margins for fuel products in the second quarter.

Margins for furniture and home furnishings stores were up 3.6%. This advance was led by margin gains at furniture (+3.5%) and floor covering (+7.1%) stores. Retail margins for general merchandise stores (+3.4%) and electronics and appliance stores (+2.9%) also rose.

Margins for sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores rose 2.6%, with book, periodical and music stores up 3.0% and sporting goods, hobby and musical instrument stores up 2.4%.

Health and personal care stores posted a margin gain of 1.4%.

Tempering the advance of the RSPI were lower margins at clothing and clothing accessories stores (-0.5%) and miscellaneous store retailers (-0.1%). The decrease in clothing and clothing accessories stores came mostly from lower margins for women's clothing (-2.9%).

Year over year, the RSPI was up 2.8%, the largest year-over-year increase of the index since the fourth quarter of 2009.

The year-over-year growth of the RSPI was led by margin increases at gasoline stations (+5.7%). Because of their high relative importance to the index, gasoline stations were the largest contributor to the year-over-year growth in the RSPI.

Health and personal care stores (+4.3%), general merchandise stores (+3.6%) and furniture and home furnishings stores (+3.5%) also reported notable year-over-year increases.

To a lesser extent, sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (+3.2%) and miscellaneous store retailers (+2.8%) contributed to the year-over-year increase in the RSPI.

Food and beverage stores (+1.7%) posted their 17th consecutive quarterly year-over-year margin increase. This gain was moderated by a 1.5% decline at convenience stores, which was the result of lower margins for goods such as candy, snacks, beverages and alcohol.

The overall year-over-year increase of the RSPI was moderated by lower margins at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-0.2%).

  Note to readers

The Retail Services Price Index (RSPI) represents the change in the price of the retail service. The price of the retail service is defined as the margin price, which is the difference between the average purchase price and the average selling price of the retail product being priced. The RSPI is not a retail selling price index.

With each release, data for the previous quarter may have been revised. The series are also subject to an annual revision with the release of second quarter data of the following reference year. The indexes are not seasonally adjusted. Data are available at the Canada level only.

The Retail Services Price Index for the third quarter of 2014 will be released in February 2015.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@canada.ca).

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