Canada’s April Retail Sales Show Solid Growth

Highlights

• Retail sales rose by 1.1% in April, driven by gains in eight out of nine subsectors.
• Core retail sales, excluding specific sectors, increased by 1.5% in April, marking the fifth consecutive monthly increase.
• Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers witnessed a decline in core retail sales (-1.6%) in April.

Overview

Retail sales increased 1.1% to $65.9 billion in April. Sales increased in eight of nine subsectors and were led by increases at general merchandise retailers (+3.3%) and food and beverage retailers (+1.5%).

Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers—increased 1.5% in April.

In volume terms, retail sales increased 0.3% in April.

Core retail sales increase on gains at general merchandise retailers and food and beverage retailers

Core retail sales increased 1.5% in April, posting its fifth consecutive monthly increase. The gain was led by higher sales at general merchandise retailers (+3.3%). Higher sales were also recorded at food and beverage retailers (+1.5%), with all store types in this subsector posting increases.

The largest decrease to core retail sales came from furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliance retailers (-1.6%). Sales were down in all three store types, with lower sales at electronics and appliance retailers (-1.3%) leading the decline.