Retail sales fell for the first time in five months, plunging 10.0% to $47.1 billion in March. This drop is the largest on record and is comparable to the retail sales decline observed in the United States (-7.1%) and other countries in the wake of COVID-19. As a result of this pandemic, many Canadian retailers shut down operations mid-month, curtailed hours and customer flow in the stores that remained open, all of which contributed to changes in the shopping habits of consumers. Based on respondent feedback, about 40% of retailers closed their doors during March. The average length of shutdowns was five business ... (full story)