The Daily — Retail trade, November 2022 (2024)

Released:2023-01-20

Retail sales decreased0.1% to $61.8billion in November. Sales decreased in6of11subsectors, representing47.4% of retail trade. The decrease was led by lower sales at food and beverage stores(-1.6%) and building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers(-3.8%).

Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers—decreased1.1%, their largest decline in11months.

In volume terms, retail sales decreased0.4% in November.

Given the continually evolving economic situation, Statistics Canada is providing an advance estimate of retail sales, which suggests that sales increased0.5% in December. Owing to its early nature, this figure will be revised. This unofficial estimate was calculated based on responses received from33.5% of companies surveyed. The average final response rate for the survey over the previous12months has been90.3%.

Core retail sales posts its largest decline in11months

Posting their largest decrease in11months, core retail sales fell1.1% in November, led by lower sales at food and beverage stores (-1.6%). Decreases were observed in all four store types in this subsector, led by lower sales at supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores (-1.3%). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) noted that prices of food purchased from stores rose11.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Also contributing to the decline in retail sales in November were lower sales at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-3.8%), as this subsector recorded its largest decrease in seven months and coincided with deteriorating housing market conditions.

Sales at general merchandise stores decreased0.8% in November. According to the Retail Commodity Survey Data Visualization Tool, food is the top commodity sold in this subsector and typically accounts for roughly one-third of sales.

Higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers

Sales were up1.4% at motor vehicle and parts dealers in November. The increase was observed in all store types within this subsector but was led by higher sales at new car dealers (+1.2%), which saw their fastest pace of growth since June2022. The increase at this store type followed higher imports of motor vehicles and parts in the second quarter of2022. Sales at other motor vehicle dealers were up5.4% in November, after declining in October2022.

Following the increases seen in October, sales at gasoline stations were up2.2% in November. In volume terms, sales at gasoline stations increased3.7%. Gasoline prices fell3.6% on an unadjusted basis in November following refinery reopenings in the western United States.

Retail sales down in eight provinces

Retail sales decreased in eight provinces in November, led by lower sales in Quebec (-0.5%). Sales were down1.6% in the Montréal census metropolitan area (CMA).

Retail sales were also down in New Brunswick (-2.0%). Leading the decrease was lower sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers.

The largest provincial increase in retail sales was observed in British Columbia (+0.9%) and was driven by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers. In the Vancouver CMA, sales were up0.9%.

Retail e-commerce sales in Canada

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were down2.7% in November.

On an unadjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were down3.5% year over year to $4.4billion in November, accounting for6.5% of total retail trade. The share of e-commerce sales out of total retail sales fell0.6percentage points compared with November2021.

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).