(Ottawa) Retail sales fell 1.4% last March in Canada to $65.3 billion.
Statistics Canada said Friday that in one month, sales fell in five of nine subsectors, which accounted for 55.5% of retail trade. The federal agency reports a 4.4% drop in sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, the first drop in eight months, and a 3.9% drop at service stations and fuel merchants.
In contrast, Statistics Canada observed a 0.3% rise in core retail sales in March, largely due to a 1.6% advance in sales at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers.
Retail sales fell in all provinces in March, except British Columbia. In Quebec, the decline was measured at 0.9% in March.
In New Brunswick, these sales fell 10.7%, mainly due to a decline at motor vehicle and parts dealers. Retail sales fell two months ago by 5.2% in Prince Edward Island and 3.3% in Nova Scotia.
In addition, Statistics Canada has produced an advance estimate of retail sales which suggests that they rose 0.2% in April, but this figure will be subject to revision.