Daily Exchange

Statscan - This comes after large declines in retail sales in November and December, followed by a partial recovery in January. February's slight increase was price-driven, as sales were down 0.3% in volume terms.

Sales rose in five of eight retail sectors. The largest contributors to the increase in February were building and outdoor home supplies stores (+3.0%) and food and beverage stores (+0.7%). Higher sales at building and outdoor home supplies stores did not offset the declines observed in the previous two months, which totalled about 7%. As for food and beverage stores, the increase mostly reflects higher sales at beer, wine and liquor stores.

The largest decline was a 1.9% decrease in sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores in February. Sales in this sector have decreased each month since July 2008.

The automotive sector posted a 0.3% sales decrease, mainly reflecting a 1.6% decline in the value of sales at new car dealers. Partially offsetting this decline was increased sales at gasoline stations, which rose for the second month, mainly reflecting higher prices at the pump.

Sales rose in five provinces, with gains in Quebec (+1.1%) and Ontario (+1.0%) providing the largest contribution to the increase. Offsetting these advances were declines in Alberta and British Columbia, which both fell by 1.3%.

Sales in the Atlantic provinces were essentially flat as higher sales in Newfoundland and Labrador were offset by lower sales in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Retail sales
	February 2008	November 2008^r	December 2008^r	January 2009^r	February 2009^p	January to February 2009	February 2008 to February 2009
	Seasonally adjusted
	$ millions					% change
Automotive	12,556	11,244	9,990	10,278	10,250	-0.3	-18.4
New car dealers	6,440	5,840	5,001	5,224	5,141	-1.6	-20.2
Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers	1,632	1,646	1,575	1,569	1,565	-0.3	-4.1
Gasoline stations	4,483	3,758	3,414	3,485	3,544	1.7	-21.0
Furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores	2,578	2,510	2,440	2,417	2,370	-1.9	-8.1
Furniture stores	859	820	794	783	771	-1.5	-10.3
Home furnishings stores	516	473	452	450	439	-2.4	-15.0
Computer and software stores	116	110	101	104	105	0.5	-9.7
Home electronics and appliance stores	1,087	1,107	1,093	1,080	1,056	-2.2	-2.8
Building and outdoor home supplies stores	2,264	2,271	2,137	2,115	2,177	3.0	-3.8
Home centres and hardware stores	1,837	1,853	1,724	1,697	1,754	3.3	-4.5
Specialized building materials and garden stores	427	418	413	417	423	1.4	-0.8
Food and beverage stores	7,798	8,198	8,089	8,267	8,326	0.7	6.8
Supermarkets	5,582	5,909	5,858	6,007	6,020	0.2	7.9
Convenience and specialty food stores	838	860	842	841	854	1.6	1.9
Beer, wine and liquor stores	1,378	1,429	1,388	1,419	1,452	2.3	5.4
Pharmacies and personal care stores	2,388	2,461	2,406	2,485	2,493	0.3	4.4
Clothing and accessories stores	2,024	1,981	1,913	1,970	1,970	0.0	-2.7
Clothing stores	1,551	1,513	1,465	1,511	1,514	0.2	-2.4
Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores	473	468	448	459	456	-0.6	-3.7
General merchandise stores	4,169	4,337	4,319	4,322	4,340	0.4	4.1
Miscellaneous retailers	1,783	1,815	1,775	1,814	1,817	0.2	1.9
Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores	886	894	893	904	898	-0.8	1.3
Miscellaneous store retailers	897	921	882	909	919	1.1	2.5
Total retail sales	35,558	34,817	33,068	33,668	33,743	0.2	-5.1
Total excluding new car dealers, used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers	27,486	27,331	26,492	26,875	27,037	0.6	-1.6
Provinces and territories
Newfoundland and Labrador	582	593	567	568	575	1.1	-1.3
Prince Edward Island	142	144	138	139	137	-1.4	-3.0
Nova Scotia	1,012	987	955	968	970	0.2	-4.1
New Brunswick	812	807	791	797	787	-1.2	-3.1
Quebec	7,962	7,877	7,624	7,615	7,699	1.1	-3.3
Ontario	12,549	12,343	11,555	11,966	12,082	1.0	-3.7
Manitoba	1,247	1,251	1,207	1,204	1,202	-0.2	-3.5
Saskatchewan	1,176	1,200	1,128	1,157	1,159	0.2	-1.5
Alberta	5,182	4,943	4,720	4,745	4,682	-1.3	-9.6
British Columbia	4,763	4,547	4,261	4,383	4,328	-1.3	-9.1
Yukon	45	43	41	42	42	-1.0	-6.9
Northwest Territories	62	56	56	55	54	-2.1	-12.0
Nunavut	25	26	26	26	26	0.4	3.2

Total retail sales by volume are measured by deflating values in current dollars of the various trade groups using consumer price indexes. This retail sales in chained dollars series (2002) is a chain Fisher volume index with 2002 as the reference year.

Unadjusted monthly estimates were revised back to January 2008, while seasonally adjusted estimates were revised back to January 2005. Factors influencing revisions include late receipt of respondent information, correction of information on data provided, the replacement of estimated figures with actual values (once available), the re-classification of companies within, into and out of the retail trade industry and updates to seasonal and trading day factors. Since seasonal factors are continually changing, revisions may be more significant for some months of the year. However, the annual sum of seasonally adjusted figures corresponds to the annual sum of unadjusted estimates.

Estimates in constant prices were also revised to reflect the annual revision of the retail sales series in current dollars from 2005 onward.