Wholesale trade
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Wholesale sales increased 1.9% to $47.6 billion in May, following a 0.1% decline in April. Virtually all of the increase in May resulted from higher sales in the agricultural supplies and the farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment industries.
In volume terms, wholesale sales increased 1.6% in May.
Chart description: Wholesale sales increase in May
Agricultural supplies sales rebound
In May, five of the seven subsectors posted gains, accounting for more than two-thirds of wholesale sales.
Almost all of the increase was attributable to an 11.8% increase in the miscellaneous subsector, as sales in the agricultural supplies industry bounced back from weather related declines in April. Sales in the agricultural supplies industry increased 27.8% in May, its highest growth since May 2008.
The machinery, equipment and supplies subsector posted the second highest increase (+2.9%), mainly as a result of higher sales in the farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment industries (+26.1%). Sales in this industry were also affected by wet weather in April.
The motor vehicle and parts subsector registered the largest decline (-1.5%) in May, mainly as a result of a 2.8% decrease in the motor vehicle industry. This was this industry's second consecutive decline. Sales may have been affected by the supply disruptions stemming from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March.
The building material and supplies subsector declined 0.6%. Increased sales (+1.6%) in the lumber, millwork, hardware and other building supplies industry were offset by lower sales in the other industries in this subsector.
Sales up in most provinces
Wholesale sales increased in eight provinces in May.
In dollar terms, Ontario (+1.0%) contributed the most to the increase. Advances were observed in a number of subsectors, particularly in the machinery, equipment and supplies and the miscellaneous subsectors.
Quebec reported a 1.8% sales gain, its second consecutive increase.
All of the Western provinces posted increases in May after reporting declines in April, with Alberta (+4.2%) contributing the most to the advance.
Saskatchewan posted a 7.3% increase, where gains were largely attributable to the agricultural supplies and the farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment industries.
The two declines occurred in the Atlantic provinces, with sales falling by 5.2% in Newfoundland and Labrador and 1.7% in Nova Scotia.
Note to readers
All the data in this release are seasonally adjusted and in current dollars, unless otherwise noted.
Wholesale sales expressed in volume are calculated by deflating current dollar values using import and industry product price indexes. Since many of the goods sold by wholesalers are imported, fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar can have an important influence on the prices of goods bought and sold by wholesalers.
The wholesale sales series in chained (2002) dollars is a chained Fisher volume index with 2002 as the reference year.
Inventories up slightly
Inventories edged up 0.1% to $55.9 billion in May.
Increases were reported by wholesalers in 14 of the 25 industries, led by the construction, forestry, mining, and industrial machinery, equipment and supplies industry (+1.6%), the metal service centres industry (+2.8%) and the food product industry (+1.8%).
The inventory-to-sales ratio declined for the first time in five months, falling from 1.20 in April to 1.17 in May.
The inventory-to-sales ratio is a measure of the time in months required to exhaust inventories if sales were to remain at their current level.
Chart description: The inventory-to-sales ratio decreases in May
Available on CANSIM: tables 081-0011 to 081-0013.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2401.
The May 2011 issue of Wholesale Trade (63-008-X, free) will soon be available.
Wholesale trade data for June will be released on August 18.
To obtain data, or for more information, contact Client Services (613-951-3549; toll-free 1-877-421-3067; wholesaleinfo@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Karim El hassani (613-951-0608; karim.elhassani@statcan.gc.ca), Distributive Trades Division.
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