According to Statistics Canada’s retail commodity survey, retail sales hit $135.5 billion in the second quarter, rising 2.2 per cent from the second quarter of 2014. Higher sales in eight of the 10 major commodity groups were tempered by lower sales of automotive fuels, oils and additives.
Automotive fuels accounted for 9.5 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores in the second quarter, down more than two cents from the same quarter in 2014. This resulted in a higher share of the retail dollar for most other commodity groups.
The largest contributor to the gain in retail sales came from a seven per cent increase in sales of motor vehicles, parts and services. Sales of food and beverages also rose 3.5 per cent, while receipts of hardware and home renovation products grew 8.5 per cent.
Additionally, sales of clothing, footwear and accessories rose 5.3 per cent from the same quarter a year earlier, with higher sales of women’s clothing and accessories (up by 5.6 per cent) and footwear (up by 5.8 per cent) acting as the largest contributors to the advance. CJ
