Given the rapidly evolving economic situation, Statistics Canada is providing an advance estimate of sales in the wholesale trade sector for January. The advance results for January indicate that wholesale sales rose 3.0%. The increase reflects higher sales in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector.
This estimate was calculated based on a weighted response rate of 64.2%. The average final response rate to the survey over the 12 months preceding it was 84.7%. As Statistics Canada continues to collect data for the January reference month, this early indicator is subject to a higher revision rate than the regular monthly release.
Advance estimates by subsector:
• Farm products: +3.1%
• Food, beverage and tobacco products: +3.0%
• Personal and household goods: +5.4%
• Motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories: -3.9%
• Building material and supplies: +4.1%
• Machinery, equipment and supplies: +5.0%
• Miscellaneous goods: +4.6%
Note to readers
The percentage change is calculated using seasonally adjusted data in current dollars.
This early indicator is a special product published in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide Canadians with timely information on the wholesale sector. The official estimate of wholesale sales for the month of January, which will be based on a more complete set of survey and administrative data, is scheduled for release on March 16, 2023.
On its next official release on March 16, 2023, for the January 2023 reference month, the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey will use the 2022 edition of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for the first time. The data will be backcasted from December 2006 until now, meaning that when the January 2023 reference month data are published, they will essentially be a new set of data based on NAICS 2022.
The introduction of NAICS 2022 will enable the reorganization of industries to better reflect the changes to the wholesale trade sector. Changes mainly impact the miscellaneous merchant wholesalers (NAICS code 418). This NAICS code continues to exist, but parts were transferred to other subsectors, such as petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons merchant wholesalers (412); personal and household goods merchant wholesalers (414); building material and supplies merchant wholesalers (416); and machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers (417).
Data users who would like to get more familiar with these coming changes can consult the correspondence table between the 2017 edition, version 3.0, and the 2022 edition, version 1.0.
The March 16 release will also include, for the first time, data on the oilseed and grain merchant wholesalers (NAICS code 41112) as well as on the petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons merchant wholesalers (NAICS code 412) in the Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey for increased coherence.
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 (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).