Statistics Canada reports January retail sales up 1.1% to $70.7B

Statistics Canada says retail sales were up 1.1% at $70.7 billion in January, led by sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers.

It says sales were up in six of the nine subsectors it tracks, as the motor vehicle and parts dealers subsector posted the largest increase in retail sales in January—up 2%.

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Core retail sales, which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers, rose 0.9% in January, led by higher sales at general merchandise retailers. Sales at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers increased 2.6%.

Food and beverage retailers posted the largest decline in core retail sales, down 0.6%, while sales at supermarkets and other grocers, except convenience stores, fell 0.7%.

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In volume terms, retail sales were up one per cent in January.

The agency says its early estimate for February pointed to a gain of 0.9%, though it cautioned the figure would be revised.