Wholesale trade, August 2025

Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) declined 1.2% to $85.4 billion in August. Sales decreased in three of the seven subsectors, which represent about half of the wholesale sector. The largest decreases came from the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-8.8%) and the food, beverage and tobacco subsector (-3.8%). Wholesale sales were 4.3% higher in August compared with the same month one year earlier.

In volume terms, wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) decreased 1.3% in August.

Chart 1: Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and oilseed and grain) decrease in August

Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories posts largest sales decline in August

Sales in the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector decreased 8.8% to $14.0 billion in August. The decrease was driven by lower sales in the motor vehicle industry group (-10.7% to $11.1 billion).

The food, beverage and tobacco subsector posted the second-largest decline in August, with sales decreasing 3.8% to $15.6 billion. This reduction was primarily concentrated in the food industry group (-4.2% to $13.8 billion).

The decrease in wholesale sales in August was partly offset by an increase in the miscellaneous subsector (+4.0% to $11.1 billion), which was concentrated in the agricultural supplies industry group (+9.1%) and the mineral, ore and precious metals industry group (+17.1%).

The machinery, equipment and supplies subsector (+2.3% to $18.4 billion) also moderated the overall decline in August, driven by higher sales in the farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment industry group (+18.7%).

Ontario leads provincial sales decrease

In August, seven provinces reported having lower sales, and Ontario recorded the largest decrease.

After recording three consecutive monthly increases, Ontario posted a decline in sales of 2.4% to $43.8 billion in August. Lower sales were recorded in four of the seven subsectors, with the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-8.7% to $9.5 billion) contributing the most to the decrease.

Quebec posted the second-largest decline in sales in August, down 1.0% to $15.3 billion. Sales decreased in three of the seven subsectors, with the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-11.2% to $1.9 billion) reporting the largest decline.

In contrast, the largest increase at the provincial level in August came from Saskatchewan, where sales rose 9.6% to $3.9 billion. Higher sales were primarily observed in the miscellaneous subsector (+15.3%), more specifically in the agricultural supplies industry group.

Inventories increase in August

Wholesale inventories (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) increased 0.7% to $134.7 billion in August.

Inventories were up in three of the seven subsectors in August. The largest gains were recorded in the personal and household goods subsector (+5.6% to $22.5 billion), followed by the miscellaneous subsector (+0.8% to $15.8 billion).

The inventory-to-sales ratio rose from 1.55 in July to 1.58 in August. This ratio is a measure of the time (in months) required to exhaust inventories if sales were to remain at their current levels.

Table 1: Wholesale merchants' sales by industry—seasonally adjusted

Table 2: Wholesale merchants' sales by province and territory—seasonally adjusted (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and oilseed and grain)

Table 3: Wholesale merchants' inventories by industry—seasonally adjusted