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Canadian Retail Sales Climb 0.6% in June to $74.3 Billion Amid Broad Sector Gains
Retail Trade · Specialty Stores · bnn_bloomberg · 2026-08-21
Statistics Canada reported a 0.6% rise in retail sales for June, though early data suggests a potential decline of 0.8% for the month of July.
What Happened
June Performance: Retail activity in Canada showed positive momentum during June, with total sales reaching $74.3 billion. This 0.6% increase was supported by growth across seven out of nine tracked subsectors.
Key Growth Drivers: General merchandise retailers led the gains with a 2.7% rise, while the apparel and accessories segment saw a notable 3.1% increase. Core retail sales, excluding volatile fuel and automotive categories, climbed by 1.2% during the period.
Volume and Trends: When adjusted for price changes, the volume of retail sales grew by 1.5% in June. This indicates that the increase in spending was driven by higher transaction volumes rather than purely inflationary pressures.
July Outlook: Despite the positive June results, Statistics Canada issued a preliminary estimate for July suggesting a 0.8% contraction. The agency noted that this figure remains subject to revision as more comprehensive data becomes available.