Wholesale trade
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
Related subjects
-
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Wholesale sales increased 0.9% to $49.2 billion in October, with the growth concentrated in the western provinces.
In volume terms, wholesale sales increased 0.5% in October.
Wholesale sales increase in October
Chart description: Wholesale sales increase in October
Subsectors: Widespread increases in wholesale sales
In October, six out of seven subsectors, representing 85% of wholesale trade, reported increases.
The largest increase in dollar terms came in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector, where sales rose 1.0% to $10.5 billion in October, continuing their upward trend. Three out of four industries that compose this subsector reported increases.
Sales in the food, beverage and tobacco products subsector advanced 1.1% during the month. This gain was based solely on the strength of the food products industry, which rose 1.4% in October. This was the industry's ninth monthly increase since January 2011.
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.
The miscellaneous subsector increased 1.4%, mainly as a result of higher sales in the agricultural supplies and the chemical (except agricultural) and allied products industries.
The only decrease in sales in October occurred in the personal and household goods subsector (-0.4%). Declines were observed in three of the component industries, including the pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies (-1.3%) and the textile, clothing and footwear (-3.7%) industries.
Provinces: Sales increase concentrated in the West
Wholesale sales were up in seven provinces in October, with all four western provinces registering sales increases.
In dollar terms, wholesalers in Alberta and Saskatchewan contributed the most to the national growth, followed by British Columbia and Manitoba.
Sales in Alberta increased 3.9%, rising for a sixth consecutive month. Higher sales were widespread among the subsectors.
In Saskatchewan, sales grew by 8.4% in October, a fourth increase in six months. Advances were observed across a number of subsectors.
Ontario, where sales were down 0.2%, reported the largest decrease in dollar terms.
Wholesalers in Quebec reported a 0.4% decline in October. Sales have been relatively flat since May 2011. Weaker sales in the personal and household goods subsector contributed to the decline in October.
Inventories continue to rise
Inventories edged up 0.2% to $57.8 billion in October, posting their 10th consecutive monthly increase.
Inventories rose in 13 of the 25 wholesale industries. Wholesalers in the motor vehicle industry (+3.2%) and the construction, forestry, mining and industrial machinery, equipment and supplies industry (+1.1%) reported the largest gains in dollar terms.
The inventory-to-sales ratio declined from 1.18 in September to 1.17 in October.
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.
Inventories edge up in October
Chart description: Inventories edge up in October
Available on CANSIM: tables 081-0011 to 081-0013.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2401.
The October 2011 issue of Wholesale Trade (63-008-X, free) will soon be available.
Wholesale trade data for November will be released on January 20, 2012.
To obtain data, or for more information, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-421-3067; 613-951-3549; wholesaleinfo@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Steve Chadder (613-951-0303; steve.chadder@statcan.gc.ca), Distributive Trades Division.
- Date modified: