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Quarterly Retail Commodity Survey, third quarter 2016

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Text - Selected CANSIM tables Related information Previous release PDF (125 KB)

Released: 2017-02-28

Retail sales in Canada increased 2.0% from the third quarter of 2015 to $138.1 billion in the third quarter of 2016.

Food, vehicles, and fuel continued to account for the majority of retail spending in Canada. Of every dollar spent on retail purchases, 23.5 cents was on food and beverages, 20.0 cents was on new and used motor vehicles, 9.0 cents was on automotive fuel, and 3.0 cents was on motor vehicle parts, accessories and supplies.

Sales of new and used motor vehicles accounted for $27.6 billion. Almost $18.2 billion of new motor vehicles were sold, the majority of which were minivans, sport utility vehicles, and light trucks. These types of vehicles also accounted for 59% of the $9.5 billion of used motor vehicles sold.

Food and beverage sales totalled $32.4 billion, or 23.5% of the retail total. Fresh meat and poultry and fresh fish and seafood sales amounted to 3.5% of retail spending, while fresh fruit and vegetables sales represented 3.3%, and sales of alcoholic beverages accounted for 4.9%.

Automotive fuel accounted for $12.4 billion of retail sales in the third quarter, while motor vehicle parts, accessories and supplies accounted for $4.1 billion.

Table 1
Sales by type of commodity, all retail stores – Seasonally unadjusted

  Note to readers

Beginning with this release (third quarter 2016), the data published from the Retail Commodity Survey reflect significant changes to the retail commodity program.

Retail commodity data are now collected and published using the new product classification standard the North American Product Classification System, which provides more product detail than the commodity classification system formerly used in the Retail Commodity Survey.

As a new classification system has been implemented, it is not currently possible to compare quarterly estimates with data from the previous year. Historical retail commodity estimates will be available in July 2017, in CANSIM table 080-0035. Table 080-0035 replaces table 080-0022, which has been terminated.

Retail commodity estimates continue to be benchmarked to estimates from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey.

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; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).

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