Canadian seasonally adjusted retail sales rose 1.1 per cent in April to $65.9 billion. Sales rose in 8 of 9 subsectors, but the increase was led by higher sales at general merchandise retailers (+3.3 per cent) and food and beverage retailers (+1.5 per cent). Core retail sales, which strips out gasoline and motor vehicle and parts dealers, rose 1.5 per cent. In volume terms, sales rose 0.3 per cent in April. 

In BC, seasonally adjusted sales rose 0.5 per cent in April. Compared to the same month last year, retail sales were down 0.1 per cent in the province. In the Greater Vancouver region, sales fell 1.4 per cent month-over-month and were down 1.4 per cent year-over-year.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.