British Columbia’s retail trade dropped by 0.1% to $5.23 billion between June and July, while trade increased across Canada by 0.6% over the same period, according to Statistics Canada data released September 24.
Nationally, the increase in trade was driven by a 3.2% jump in gasoline sales. This is the third consecutive month of increases in this sector.
General merchandise trade was up 1.1% in July – the third increase in four months.
Clothing and clothing accessories trade increased by 1.9%. Health and personal care saw the fifth consecutive monthly gain, with an increase of 0.6%.
Trade in B.C. saw a 2.1% increase year-over-year, which was almost a percentage point lower than the national growth rate of 3.0% over the same period.
The provinces with the largest year-over-year retail trade gains were:
- Alberta (6.4%);
- Newfoundland and Labrador (5.6%); and
- Nova Scotia (4.2%).
