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Retail trade

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November 2009 (Previous release)

Retail sales in current dollars declined 0.3% in November to $35.2 billion, after rising for three consecutive months. A contributing factor was lower winter clothing sales as a result of unseasonably warm weather throughout most of Canada.

After removing the effects of price changes, particularly higher gasoline prices, retail sales in volume terms decreased 1.0% in November, the first decline since April 2009.

Retail sales decline in November

Sales declined in five of eight retail store sectors in November. A 3.6% decrease at clothing and accessories stores was the largest drop in this sector since September 2002, when above average temperatures also affected seasonal clothing purchases. Sales in the shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores trade group were the most affected by the warm weather, falling 6.8% in November following three months of sales increases. Sales at clothing stores fell 2.6% in November, more than offsetting the growth from the previous month.

Sales at general merchandisers, which include department stores, fell 2.8% in November. Lower sales of clothing and footwear, which account for about 15% of sales at this store type, according to the Retail Commodity Survey, were responsible for most of the decline.

The 0.5% drop in sales at miscellaneous retailers was due mainly to a 4.1% decrease in sales in the sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores trade group. In particular, sales were weak at sporting goods stores.

The automotive sector edged down 0.2% in November. Sales at new car dealers fell 2.2% after rising for six consecutive months. In contrast, gasoline stations (+2.4%) registered higher sales for a fourth consecutive month as prices at the pump increased. Sales at used and recreational motor vehicles and parts dealers (+1.1%) increased for a seventh consecutive month.

Sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores rose 1.1%, their strongest increase of 2009.

A 1.1% increase at building and outdoor home supplies stores was led by higher sales at specialized building material and garden stores (+6.5%), which was the largest increase of this store type since December 2006. Sales at home centres and hardware stores were flat.

Sales down in seven provinces

Retail sales were lower in seven provinces in November. Ontario (-0.4%) was the largest contributor to the national decrease while Saskatchewan (-1.1%) experienced the largest decline in percentage terms.

Note to readers

All data in this release are seasonally adjusted and are expressed in current dollars unless otherwise specified.

Total retail sales by volume are measured by deflating values in current dollars of the various trade groups using consumer price indexes. This retail sales in chained dollars series (2002) is a chain Fisher volume index with 2002 as the reference year.

Sales edged down 0.1% in the Atlantic provinces as declines in Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.7%) and New Brunswick (-1.0%) offset increases in Prince Edward Island (+0.9%) and Nova Scotia (+0.8%).

Retailers in British Columbia registered a sales increase of 0.6%, continuing the upward trend observed since the beginning of 2009.

It is possible to consult the tables of unadjusted data by industry and by province and territory from the Summary tables module of our website.

For information on related indicators, refer to the Latest statistics page on our website.

Available on CANSIM: tables 080-0014 to 080-0017.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 2406 and 2408.

The November 2009 issue of the publication Retail Trade (63-005-X, free) will be available shortly.

Data on retail trade for December will be released on February 19.

For more information, or to order data, contact Client Services (613-951-3549; toll-free 1-877-421-3067; retailinfo@statcan.gc.ca). For analytical information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jake W. Purdy (613-951-0984), Distributive Trades Division.

Table 1

Retail sales
  November 2008 August 2009r September 2009r October 2009r November 2009p October to November 2009 November 2008 to November 2009
  Seasonally adjusted
   $ millions % change
Automotive 11,244 11,040 11,180 11,556 11,530 -0.2 2.5
New car dealers 5,840 5,843 5,906 6,131 5,997 -2.2 2.7
Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers 1,646 1,544 1,572 1,603 1,621 1.1 -1.5
Gasoline stations 3,758 3,653 3,702 3,822 3,912 2.4 4.1
Furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores 2,510 2,392 2,415 2,421 2,448 1.1 -2.5
Furniture stores 820 791 800 802 811 1.1 -1.1
Home furnishings stores 473 474 487 494 501 1.3 5.9
Computer and software stores 110 98 104 103 106 2.9 -3.0
Home electronics and appliance stores 1,107 1,029 1,024 1,022 1,030 0.8 -7.0
Building and outdoor home supplies stores 2,271 2,248 2,243 2,266 2,291 1.1 0.9
Home centres and hardware stores 1,853 1,841 1,831 1,862 1,861 0.0 0.4
Specialized building materials and garden stores 418 407 412 404 430 6.5 2.9
Food and beverage stores 8,198 8,272 8,360 8,252 8,330 0.9 1.6
Supermarkets 5,909 5,922 5,995 5,923 5,999 1.3 1.5
Convenience and specialty food stores 860 850 839 846 860 1.6 0.0
Beer, wine and liquor stores 1,429 1,500 1,525 1,483 1,471 -0.8 2.9
Pharmacies and personal care stores 2,461 2,570 2,574 2,569 2,566 -0.1 4.3
Clothing and accessories stores 1,981 1,934 1,935 1,971 1,901 -3.6 -4.0
Clothing stores 1,513 1,486 1,481 1,507 1,468 -2.6 -3.0
Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores 468 448 454 465 433 -6.8 -7.5
General merchandise stores 4,337 4,346 4,431 4,439 4,315 -2.8 -0.5
Miscellaneous retailers 1,815 1,832 1,877 1,877 1,867 -0.5 2.8
Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores 894 933 953 938 900 -4.1 0.7
Miscellaneous store retailers 921 899 924 939 967 3.0 5.0
Total retail sales 34,817 34,635 35,015 35,351 35,247 -0.3 1.2
Total excluding automotive sector 23,573 23,594 23,835 23,795 23,717 -0.3 0.6
Total excluding new car dealers, used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers 27,331 27,247 27,537 27,617 27,629 0.0 1.1
Provinces and territories              
Newfoundland and Labrador 593 601 623 634 629 -0.7 6.2
Prince Edward Island 144 142 148 145 146 0.9 1.5
Nova Scotia 987 1,023 1,040 1,050 1,059 0.8 7.3
New Brunswick 807 839 858 849 840 -1.0 4.1
Quebec 7,877 7,936 8,090 8,096 8,072 -0.3 2.5
Ontario 12,343 12,401 12,482 12,672 12,623 -0.4 2.3
Manitoba 1,251 1,251 1,259 1,277 1,275 -0.2 1.9
Saskatchewan 1,200 1,183 1,176 1,192 1,179 -1.1 -1.7
Alberta 4,943 4,626 4,628 4,650 4,611 -0.8 -6.7
British Columbia 4,547 4,501 4,579 4,653 4,679 0.6 2.9
Yukon 43 45 44 45 46 1.0 6.1
Northwest Territories 56 60 61 62 61 -2.7 7.5
Nunavut 26 26 27 27 28 1.0 5.7
revised
preliminary
Note(s):
Figures may not add up to total due to rounding.