Food services and drinking places

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Sales for the food services and drinking places industry fell 0.7% from July to $4.2 billion in August. During the same period, the price of food purchased in restaurants rose 0.5%, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Since August 2010, sales for food services and drinking places have risen by 4.6%, while the price of food purchased in restaurants has increased by 2.7%.

In August, three of the four industry sectors posted lower sales compared with the previous month.

Sales in the special food services sector declined 1.7%. This sector includes food service contractors, caterers and mobile food services. Sales in both the limited-service restaurant sector and the full-service restaurant sector fell by 0.7%.

Sales at drinking places increased 0.2% following four consecutive monthly decreases.

In August, six provinces registered lower sales and the four others posted gains. The biggest decline was in Prince Edward Island (-1.2%), while the strongest increase was in Newfoundland and Labrador (+0.6%).

Note: All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and expressed in current dollars.

Seasonally adjusted data are revised for the three previous months. Data are also revised annually. Revisions improve data quality and coherence and are based on information not available at the time of initial estimates.

Available on CANSIM: table 355-0006.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2419.

To obtain data, or for more information, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-801-3282; 613-951-4612; servicesind@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Pierre Felx (613-951-0075; pierre.felx@statcan.gc.ca), Service Industries Division.