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Annual retail trade
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Canadian retailers' operating profits as a share of operating revenue narrowed slightly to 5.0% in 2008 from 5.2% in 2007. Retailers were affected by changing economic conditions during 2008, especially late in the year.
Store and non-store retailers reported $468.5 billion in operating revenue for 2008, a 4.5% increase. Total expenses rose 4.6% to $444.9 billion.
Cost of goods sold, which accounts for just over three-quarters of total expenses, rose 4.4% to $341.4 billion in 2008. Other operating expenses, which include labour remuneration, increased 5.6% to $103.5 billion.
Pharmacies and personal care stores had the largest gain in operating profits, a 30.9% increase to $1.6 billion in 2008. The ratio of operating profits to operating revenue was 5.2% in 2008, up from 4.3% in 2007. This growth reflects revenues increasing at a faster pace than the cost of goods sold and other expenses.
Store retailers, excluding non-store retailers, are divided into chain stores and non-chain stores. A chain store is an organization operating four or more locations within the same industry group under the same legal ownership. Chains recorded operating revenues of $213.8 billion, up 5.8% over 2007.
Chain stores have been gradually increasing their share of total operating revenue. In 2004, they represented 43.1% of total operating revenue; by 2008, their share had risen to 47.0%. Non-chain stores posted a 3.3% increase in revenue to $240.9 billion in 2008.
Operating expenses (excluding cost of goods sold) for store and non-store retailers rose to $103.5 billion, up 5.6% over the previous year. Expenses were up in all industries, except for beer, wine and liquor stores and non-store retailers.
Note: This release combines data from the Annual Retail Store Survey and the Retail Non-store Survey. Operating profit is obtained by subtracting the total operating expenses plus the cost of goods sold (opening inventory plus purchases and direct costs minus closing inventory) from the total operating revenues.
Available on CANSIM: tables 080-0011 to 080-0013.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 2446, 2447 and 2448.
Selected details for the annual retail trade in 2008 are now available in Annual Retail Trade, 2008 (63-270-X, free), from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.
For more information, or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-421-3067; 613-951-3549; retailinfo@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Leslie Poon (613-951-0393), Distributive Trades Division.
