Canada Retailers End Third Quarter With Unexpected Sales Gain
Canada Retailers End Third Quarter With Unexpected Sales Gain
(Bloomberg) --
Canadian retailers recorded an unexpected
gain in sales in September, a firmer than anticipated ending to
a weaker third quarter.
Retailers saw a 0.2 percent gain during the month, Statistics
Canada reported Friday from Ottawa. Economists expected no
growth. Sales for August were revised to show no change, versus
an initial estimate of a 0.1 percent decline.
The nation's retailers had been coming off a sluggish summer, a
pause consistent with a broader trend of slowing consumer
spending this year as households cope with higher borrowing
costs.
The September gain however meant sales through the third quarter
ended up with a 0.9 percent gain, less than the 1.1 percent
increase in the second quarter. In volume terms, adjusting for
price increases, retail sales rose 0.4 percent in the third
quarter, down from 0.9 percent the previous quarter.
Sales volumes were up 0.5 percent in September.
During the month, sales were up in six of 11 subsectors tracked
by Statistics Canada, representing 75 percent of retail trade.
A 0.9 percent gain in food and beverage stores led increases,
along with higher sales at car dealerships and clothing
retailers. Excluding cars, retail sales were up 0.1 percent.
Sales at gas stations fell 1.1 percent in September as prices
fell.
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