Canadian seasonally-adjusted retail sales rose 3.2% to $58.9 billion in January. The increase was driven by a rebound in sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers (+5.3%) and new car dealers (+5.5%). Sales rose in 9 of 11 subsectors of the economy. Core retail sales, which strips out gasoline and vehicle and parts sales, increased 2.9% in January. In volume terms, sales were up 2.9%. 

In BC, seasonally-adjusted sales rose 4% in January. Compared to the same month last year, retail sales were up 2.1% in the province. In the Greater Vancouver region, sales rose 5.4% month-over-month and were up 11% year-over-year. 

In January, Canadian e-commerce sales declined 28% to 3.2 billion. As a result, e-commerce decreased from 6.9% of total retail sales in December to 6.3% in January. This percentage remains elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.