Retail sales decreased 2.5% to $61.3 billion in July, the first decline observed in seven months. Sales were down in 9 of 11 subsectors, representing 94.5% of retail trade. The decrease was driven by lower sales at gasoline stations and clothing and clothing accessories stores. Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers—decreased 0.9%. In volume terms, retail sales were down 2.0% in July. Given the continually evolving economic situation, Statistics Canada is providing an advance estimate of retail sales, which suggests that sales increased 0.4% in August. Owing to its early ... (full story)