Statscan - Most of the decline reflected lower prices at gasoline stations. In volume terms, retail sales edged down 0.1%. Retail sales have risen in five of the first seven months of 2009, following large drops at the end of 2008.

Sales were down in five of eight retail sectors in July. In the automotive sector, the 1.0% decline in sales was due to a 3.4% fall in sales at gasoline stations as prices at the pump dropped. This was the third time in four months where sales at gasoline stations have been the largest contributor to the change in overall retail sales, reflecting swings in prices.

In the rest of the automotive sector, sales at new car dealers (+0.2%) increased for a third consecutive month. This was lower than the rise in unit sales reported in the New Motor Vehicle Sales Survey, as some of the increase in the number of units sold came from lower valued vehicles. Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers (+0.1%) posted relatively stable sales after strong increases in May and June.

The food and beverage stores sector posted a 1.5% sales decline in July, reflecting decreases across its various store types. Sales at supermarkets, which account for about three quarters of the sector's sales, declined 1.6%, more than offsetting June's increase. Beer, wine and liquor stores (-1.4%) also saw a slowdown in sales after two months of solid increases. Unseasonably poor weather in many parts of the country may have affected sales at these types of stores in July.

Sales at furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores decreased 0.6% in July following two months of increases. This was entirely due to a 2.5% fall in sales at home electronics and appliance stores after a sizable gain in June, partly reflecting the introduction of new products.

The largest increase was a 1.1% rise in sales at pharmacies and personal care stores. Sales in this sector continue to follow a long-term upward trend.

The 1.0% increase at building and outdoor home supplies stores more than offset the decrease in June. Despite rising sales in four of the first seven months of 2009, sales in this sector have not offset the substantial decline in December 2008.

Sales at general merchandise stores increased 0.6% in July. Sales for this store type have been relatively flat since October 2008.

Sales down in all provinces

Retail sales declined in all provinces in July, reflecting the impact of price-induced lower sales at gasoline stations.

Alberta (-1.1%) was the largest contributor to the national decline in July, with sales down 9.2% compared with July 2008, the largest year-over-year decline among all the provinces. Sales fell 0.3% in Ontario, making it the second largest contributor to the overall decline.

The smallest decline was in Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.1%), where retail sales in July were higher compared with the same month in 2008.

Retail sales

	July 2008	April 2009r	May 2009r	June 2009r	July 2009p	June to July 2009	July 2008 to July 2009
	Seasonally adjusted
	$ millions					% change
Automotive	12,432	10,254	10,510	10,769	10,659	-1.0	-14.3
New car dealers	6,043	5,415	5,605	5,631	5,643	0.2	-6.6
Used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers	1,583	1,476	1,499	1,533	1,535	0.1	-3.0
Gasoline stations	4,806	3,364	3,406	3,605	3,481	-3.4	-27.6
Furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores	2,660	2,356	2,374	2,389	2,374	-0.6	-10.8
Furniture stores	876	762	763	769	771	0.3	-12.0
Home furnishings stores	521	458	471	467	471	0.8	-9.7
Computer and software stores	124	107	105	98	104	6.1	-15.9
Home electronics and appliance stores	1,139	1,029	1,035	1,055	1,028	-2.5	-9.7
Building and outdoor home supplies stores	2,305	2,201	2,224	2,207	2,230	1.0	-3.3
Home centres and hardware stores	1,879	1,792	1,813	1,804	1,828	1.3	-2.7
Specialized building materials and garden stores	426	409	411	403	402	-0.4	-5.6
Food and beverage stores	7,938	8,250	8,259	8,337	8,208	-1.5	3.4
Supermarkets	5,677	5,983	5,972	6,021	5,924	-1.6	4.3
Convenience and specialty food stores	848	834	842	846	835	-1.2	-1.5
Beer, wine and liquor stores	1,412	1,433	1,445	1,469	1,449	-1.4	2.6
Pharmacies and personal care stores	2,450	2,478	2,530	2,563	2,592	1.1	5.8
Clothing and accessories stores	2,023	1,927	1,928	1,937	1,927	-0.5	-4.7
Clothing stores	1,554	1,477	1,481	1,489	1,491	0.1	-4.1
Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores	468	450	447	448	437	-2.6	-6.8
General merchandise stores	4,311	4,353	4,362	4,342	4,367	0.6	1.3
Miscellaneous retailers	1,831	1,833	1,827	1,828	1,821	-0.4	-0.5
Sporting goods, hobby, music and book stores	902	915	929	939	939	0.0	4.2
Miscellaneous store retailers	929	918	898	889	882	-0.7	-5.1
Total retail sales	35,950	33,651	34,015	34,371	34,179	-0.6	-4.9
Total excluding new car dealers, used and recreational motor vehicle and parts dealers	28,323	26,761	26,911	27,207	27,001	-0.8	-4.7
Provinces and territories
Newfoundland and Labrador	597	593	602	611	611	-0.1	2.3
Prince Edward Island	145	142	141	141	140	-0.8	-3.4
Nova Scotia	1,024	990	1,001	1,020	1,005	-1.5	-1.9
New Brunswick	850	793	809	808	807	-0.2	-5.0
Quebec	8,056	7,633	7,734	7,893	7,878	-0.2	-2.2
Ontario	12,804	12,045	12,212	12,202	12,161	-0.3	-5.0
Manitoba	1,248	1,203	1,212	1,251	1,246	-0.5	-0.2
Saskatchewan	1,214	1,144	1,157	1,188	1,165	-1.9	-4.1
Alberta	5,096	4,620	4,631	4,675	4,625	-1.1	-9.2
British Columbia	4,787	4,366	4,389	4,450	4,413	-0.8	-7.8
Yukon	45	41	42	43	42	-1.8	-5.3
Northwest Territories	57	54	57	60	59	-2.3	1.9
Nunavut	26	27	27	28	29	1.4	12.1

Note to readers

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.