Grocery store sales still high, but below mid-March peak: StatsCan

Statistics Canada says grocery store sales continued to be high in the week ending April 11, up 19% year-over-year, but they were below the spike seen in mid-March when initial COVID-19 emergency measures were announced.

The agency says grocery store sales had been up 40% in the week ended March 21, compared with the same week last year.

The data comes from a special Statistics Canada report on how shopping patterns have changed since Canada stepped up its COVID-19 public health campaigns.

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Among other things, the report says bathroom tissue sales moderated, but were still 81% higher in the week of April 11 than they were last year.

Sales of hand sanitizer were up 345% during the week of April 11, sales of masks and gloves were up 114% and sales of soap were up 68%, compared with a year earlier.

But Statistics Canada says sales of cold remedies were down 11% year-over-year and sales of infant formula were 15% lower than the same week of 2019.