Core retail sales in Canada declined 0.7% in April, marking a second consecutive monthly decrease, even as total retail sales rose 0.5% from March to C$73bn ($51.6bn), according to Statistics Canada.
The fall in core retail sales, which excludes gasoline stations and fuel vendors, as well as motor vehicle and parts dealers, was mainly due to weaker sales at food and beverage retailers, down 2%, and general merchandise retailers, down 1.7%.
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Sales also dropped 1.5% at book, hobby, miscellaneous, musical instrument and sporting goods retailers, extending declines in that category for a second month.
The strongest increase within core retail categories came from building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, where sales rose 3.3% in April after a 4.5% decline in March.
Overall retail sales were supported by gains in five of nine subsectors. The largest increase came from gasoline stations and fuel vendors, where sales rose 5.1%. In volume terms, sales in that category were up 0.8%.
Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers rose 1.7% in April, following a 0.1% decline in March.
In volume terms, total retail sales were unchanged during the month.
Retail sales increased in six provinces in April. Ontario posted the largest increase in dollar terms, with sales rising 0.5%, led by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers.
In the Toronto census metropolitan area, retail sales fell 1%.
Alberta recorded a 1.3% increase in retail sales, driven by higher sales at gasoline stations and fuel dealers.
Manitoba saw the largest provincial decline, with retail sales down 1.8%, mainly because of weaker sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales fell 1.2% to C$5.1bn in April, accounting for 7% of total retail trade, compared with 7.1% in March.
