Canada: Retail sales in April declined 1.2% to $49.5 billion

"Following three consecutive monthly increases, retail sales in April declined 1.2% to $49.5 billion," Statistics Canada reported.

Key takeaways from the official publication

• The decrease was primarily due to lower sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers.
• Inclement weather in many parts of Canada may have contributed to the overall decline in April.
• Excluding sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales were down 0.1% in April.
• Sales were down in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 65% of retail trade.
• Removing the effect of price changes, retail sales in volume terms declined 1.4%.