Retail sales increased 3.2% to $58.9 billion in January. The increase was led by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers (+5.3%), as sales at new car dealers (+5.5%) rebounded in January following a decline in December 2021.
Sales were up in 9 of 11 subsectors, representing 85.5% of retail trade.
Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers—increased 2.9%.
In volume terms, retail sales were up 2.9% in January.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, provincial governments implemented public health restrictions in several regions across the country, which directly affected the retail sector. In light of evolving restrictions, both retailers and consumers have adapted to these business conditions.
Based on respondent feedback, 2.6% of retailers were closed at some point in January compared with 13.9% of retailers reporting closures one year prior.
Given the rapidly evolving economic situation, Statistics Canada is providing an advance estimate of retail sales, which suggests that sales decreased 0.5% in February 2022. Owing to its early nature, this figure will be revised. This unofficial estimate was calculated based on responses received from 36.6% of companies surveyed. The average final response rate for the survey over the previous 12 months has been 89.9%.
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