Canada's retail sales totalled C$54.7B in January, up 5.5% year-over-year; largest contribution to increase came from higher sales of automotive and household fuels, motor vehicles and food and beverages: Statistics Canada

OTTAWA , April 11, 2023 (press release) –

Monthly data from the Retail Commodity Survey are now available for January. The survey collects detailed information about retail commodity sales in Canada to produce estimates of the distribution of sales of various commodities at the national level.

Retail sales totalled $54.7 billion in January 2023, up 5.5% from the same month the previous year. In dollar terms, the leading commodity categories were food and beverages ($13.5 billion), motor vehicles ($10.2 billion) and automotive and household fuels ($5.7 billion).

Note to readers
The Retail Commodity Survey collects national-level retail sales data, by commodity, from the same businesses surveyed in the Monthly Retail Trade Survey. No data have been seasonally adjusted. All percentage changes are year over year.

New classification standard
As of the January 2023 reference period, Retail Commodity Survey figures are now based on the 2022 North American Product Classification (NAPCS) and the North American Industry Classification structures. These new classification structures have introduced new commodities, updated commodity definitions, and broadened the industry scope for the estimates of the Retail Commodity Survey.

Tables 20-10-0016 and 20-10-0017 have been archived. National monthly commodity estimates in NAPCS 2022 are now available in Table 20-10-0080 starting with January 2023. National industry based quarterly commodity estimates will be available in Table 20-10-0071 starting in the first quarter of 2023.

Find more statistics on retail trade.

Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).

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