Retail trade, March 2024

Released: 2024-05-24

Retail sales decreased 0.2% to $66.4 billion in March. Sales were down in seven of nine subsectors and were led by decreases at furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers.

Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers—were down 0.6% in March.

In volume terms, retail sales decreased 0.4% in March.

Retail sales were down 0.2% in the first quarter, while in volume terms, retail sales increased 0.3%.

Chart 1 
Retail sales decrease in March

Core retail sales decline

Core retail sales were down 0.6% in March. This was the first decrease for core retail sales in four months. The decline was broad-based with sales at all but one core retail subsector being down.

Lower sales were reported at furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers (-1.6%) and at clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers (-1.6%).

Receipts were also down at food and beverage retailers (-0.4%) and sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers (-1.5%).

Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (+1.3%) was the only core retail subsector to report an increase in sales in March.

Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers rise

The largest increase in retail sales in March was observed at motor vehicle and parts dealers (+1.0%), up for a second consecutive month. The gain was led by higher sales at new car dealers (+1.1%). The sole decline in this subsector came from used car dealers (-2.0%).

Sales at gasoline stations and fuel vendors (-0.7%) were down in March. In volume terms, sales at gasoline stations and fuel vendors decreased 1.7%.

Chart 2 
Sales decrease in seven of nine subsectors in March

Sales down in six provinces

Retail sales decreased in six provinces in March. The largest provincial decrease was observed in Ontario (-0.3%), led by lower sales at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book and miscellaneous retailers. In the census metropolitan area (CMA) of Toronto, sales were up 1.5%.

In Saskatchewan, retail sales decreased 3.4%, led by lower sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers.

The largest provincial increase in retail sales in March was observed in Quebec (+0.6%). In the CMA of Montréal, sales were up 0.3%.

Retail e-commerce sales in Canada

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were up 3.0% to $4.0 billion in March, accounting for 6.0% of total retail trade, compared with 5.8% in February.

Advance retail indicator

Statistics Canada is providing an advance estimate of retail sales, which suggests that sales increased 0.7% in April. Owing to its early nature, this figure will be revised. This unofficial estimate was calculated based on responses received from 51.0% of companies surveyed. The average final response rate for the survey over the previous 12 months was 90.5%.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).