Retail Commodity Survey, August 2021

Released: 2021-11-05

Retail sales reached $59.1 billion in August, an increase of 8.5% compared with the same month a year earlier. Higher sales were reported in 16 of the 19 commodity classes.

The advance estimate provided by the Monthly Retail Trade Survey suggests that unadjusted total retail sales in September increased by 2.3%. Because of its preliminary nature, this figure will be revised.

Fuel sales remain strong at the pump

Sales of automotive and household fuels posted the highest growth of all commodity classes in August, up 38.9% compared with the same month in 2020. With increasing prices at the pump, sales of automotive fuels were up 39.0%.

Sales of motor vehicles remained strong in August, rising 10.3% from the same month a year earlier. Growth in the commodity class was driven by higher sales of used motor vehicles (+27.1%), with sales of used minivans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks (+36.3%) accounting for the bulk of the increase. With supply chain issues leading to lower inventory levels, sales of new motor vehicles rose 1.7% compared with August 2020. The majority of the increase came from sales of new minivans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks (+1.5%).

With higher sales of used motor vehicles in 2021, demand for motor vehicle parts, accessories and supplies grew. As a result, year-over-year sales in this class rose 9.5% in August. Motor vehicle maintenance and repair service sales increased 7.3% for the same period.

Clothing and footwear sales rise

For the sixth consecutive month, higher sales were seen in the clothing commodity class in August (+15.9%). Gains were recorded in every commodity subclass, the largest of which were in women's clothing (+17.6%) and men's clothing (+17.3%). Sales of footwear increased 11.7% in August, the class's highest level of sales since December 2019. Growth in this class was led by men's footwear (+21.2%), followed by children's footwear (+18.9%).

With many provinces announcing a return to in-person learning, product categories typically associated with the return to school saw strong sales growth. Sales of home office equipment and supplies not elsewhere classified increased 36.3% in August, while sales of indoor home furniture, which includes products such as mattresses and home office and bedroom furniture, grew 13.0%.

Food sales remain weak

With restaurant sales increasing to nearly pre-pandemic levels, retail sales of food declined 0.6% in August, marking the third consecutive month of annual decline for the commodity class. Sales of fresh food decreased 2.0%, led in large part by lower sales of fresh fruit and vegetables (-5.9%) and fresh meat and poultry (-4.9%). In August, the last full month of summer, sales of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages rose 2.8%. Growth in this commodity class was led by higher sales of alcoholic beverages (+2.1%).

Contact information

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