Canada Retail Sales to Rise for 3rd Month

Retail sales in Canada are estimated to have increased 0.6% month-over-month in March 2026, according to a preliminary estimate. If confirmed, it would mark a third consecutive month of gains in retail sales. In February, retail sales were up 0.7%, below an initial estimate of a 0.9% rise, with sales up in seven of nine subsectors. Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers increased 1%, led by sales at new car dealers (+0.7%), followed by used car dealers (+4.0%). Sales at gasoline stations and fuel vendors were unchanged in February. Meanwhile, core retail sales rose 0.6%, posting their second consecutive increase. The gain was led by higher sales at general merchandise retailers (+1.2%) and food and beverage retailers (+0.9%). Higher sales were also recorded at clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers (+1.1%). The largest decrease came from building material and garden equipment (-0.6%).

Retail sales in Canada are estimated to have increased by 0.9% from the previous month in February of 2026, according to a preliminary estimate. If confirmed, that would extend the 1.1% increase in January to C$69.7 billion, which was revised lower from the 1.5% estimate, rebounding from the 0.5% drop in the last month of 2025. Such an increase would be the largest back-to-back increase since December of 2024. Retail turnover in January was higher for general merchandise retailers (3% to C$9.4 billion), sports, hobby, musical instrument and book stores (2.6% to C$3.9 billion), health and personal care retailers (1.2% to C$5.9 billion), and building material and garden equipment suppliers (1.3% to C$3.9 billion). Motor vehicles and parts turnover, which are usually volatile, jumped by 2% to C$19.3 billion. In turn, gasoline station turnover dropped by 0.4% to C$6.7 billion). From the previous year, retail turnover rose by 1.5% in February.

Canada’s retail sales are estimated to have increased 1.5% month over month in January 2026, which, if confirmed, would mark a rebound after a 0.4% decline in December and sharpest increase since December 2024 according to advance estimates. In December retail sales fell 0.4% to C$70.0 billion with sales down in three of nine subsectors led by motor vehicle and parts dealers which dropped 1.6%. Core retail sales excluding gasoline stations and motor vehicle dealers fell 0.3%. Gains in December were concentrated at gasoline stations and fuel vendors up 2.8% and at sporting goods hobby musical instrument book and miscellaneous retailers up 1.0% while building material and garden equipment and furniture home electronics retailers posted the largest declines. Retail sales fell in seven provinces with Alberta the largest decline at 2.1% while Quebec rose 0.6%. Year on year retail sales were essentially unchanged in December.