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Wholesale trade, March 2016

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Released: 2016-05-19

Wholesale sales

$54.6 billion

March 2016

-1.0% 

(monthly change)

Wholesale sales declined for a second consecutive month in March, down 1.0% to $54.6 billion. Lower sales were recorded in five of seven subsectors, led by the motor vehicle and parts subsector and the miscellaneous subsector.

In volume terms, wholesale sales declined 0.4%.

Chart 1  Chart 1: Wholesale sales decrease in March
Wholesale sales decrease in March

Lower sales in five subsectors

Sales decreased in five of seven subsectors in March, accounting for 65% of wholesale sales.

The motor vehicle and parts subsector recorded a second consecutive decline in March, down 2.5% to $10.3 billion, its lowest level in four months. The motor vehicle industry contributed the most to the decline, with sales decreasing 3.3% to $7.8 billion. Lower imports and exports of motor vehicles and parts were also recorded in March.

In the miscellaneous subsector, sales declined 3.2% to $6.7 billion, a fourth consecutive decline. Lower sales were recorded by all of its industries, led by the agricultural supplies industry (-6.0%). Lower prices for fertilizer contributed to lower sales in this industry.

The food, beverage and tobacco subsector decreased 1.3% to $10.5 billion, following a 1.2% decline in February. Lower sales were recorded in all of the subsector's industries, led by the food industry, down 1.4% to $9.4 billion.

Sales in the farm product subsector decreased 0.9% to $644 million, their fourth decline in five months. The decline in March brought sales in this subsector, which had reached their highest level on record in March 2015, to their lowest level since February 2014. Lower prices for live animals contributed to the decline in sales in March.

Higher sales were recorded in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector, up 0.5% to $11.0 billion. Gains in the computer and communications equipment and supplies industry (+1.5%) and the farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment industry (+2.4%) led the increase. Both industries recorded a decline in February.

Sales decrease in six provinces

In March, lower sales were recorded in six provinces, together accounting for 78% of wholesale sales. In dollar terms, Ontario contributed the most to the decline.

Ontario recorded a second consecutive decrease in March, with sales down 1.4% to $28.1 billion, their lowest level in four months. Declines were widespread across subsectors, led by motor vehicle and parts.

Sales in British Columbia decreased 3.2% to $5.2 billion, their lowest level since January 2015. Most subsectors recorded lower sales in March, led by the miscellaneous subsector.

Sales in Saskatchewan recorded their third consecutive decrease, down 4.1% to $1.8 billion, reaching their lowest level since December 2012. The agricultural supplies industry in the miscellaneous subsector contributed the most to the decline.

In Nova Scotia, sales declined 3.2% to $774 million, their lowest level in seven months. Lower sales in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector and the motor vehicle and parts subsector contributed the most to the decline.

Sales were down in Alberta for the third time in four months, declining 0.4% to $6.2 billion, led by lower sales in the motor vehicle and parts subsector and the building material and supplies subsector. The decline in March brought sales in the province to their lowest level since September 2011.

In Quebec, sales increased 1.3% to $10.1 billion in March, offsetting part of the decline in February. Higher sales in the personal and household goods subsector, the building material and supplies subsector, and the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector led the gain.

Inventories edge down in March

Wholesale inventories recorded a third consecutive decrease in March, edging down 0.1% to $72.6 billion, their lowest level in six months. Declines in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector, which represented 29% of total wholesale inventories, accounted for most of the decrease.

Chart 2  Chart 2: Wholesale inventories edge down in March
Wholesale inventories edge down in March

Inventories in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector (-0.9%) declined for the fourth time in five months, bringing the subsector to its lowest level in 11 months.

The food, beverage and tobacco subsector recorded lower inventories in March, edging down 0.1%, a second consecutive decline.

The building material and supplies subsector rose 0.6%, its second increase in nine months, while the personal and household goods subsector was up 0.5%, its third increase in four months.

The inventory-to-sales ratio increased from 1.32 in February to 1.33 in March. This ratio is a measure of the time in months required to exhaust inventories if sales were to remain at their current level.




  Note to readers

All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and expressed in current dollars, unless otherwise noted. For information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.

Total wholesale sales expressed in volume are calculated by deflating current dollar values using relevant price indexes. The wholesale sales series in chained (2007) dollars is a chained Fisher volume index with 2007 as the reference year. For more information, see Sales in volume for Wholesale Trade.

The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey covers all industries within the wholesale trade sector as defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), with the exception of oilseed and grain merchant wholesalers (NAICS 41112), petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers (NAICS 412), and business-to-business electronic markets, and agents and brokers (NAICS 419).

For information on trend-cycle data, see the StatCan Blog and Trend-cycle estimates – Frequently asked questions.

This release incorporates annual revisions. Unadjusted monthly wholesale data were revised back to January 2013, while seasonally adjusted data were revised back to January 2010. Factors influencing revisions include the late receipt of respondent information, the correction of information in the data provided, the replacement of estimated figures with actual values (once available), the re-classification of companies within, into and out of the wholesale trade sector and updates to seasonal factors.

Data in volume terms were also revised back to January 2010.

Real-time CANSIM tables

Real-time CANSIM tables 081-8011, 081-8012 and 081-8015 will be updated on May 26. For more information, consult the document Real-time CANSIM tables.

Next release

Wholesale trade data for April will be released on June 20.

Contact information

For more information, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca).

For analytical information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Elspeth Hazell (613-951-8090; elspeth.hazell@canada.ca), Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade Division.

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