Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Manitoba one of five provinces to see increase in retail sales

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 11/22/2012 11:44 AM | Comments: 0

Manitoba posted one of the biggest increases in retail sales in the country in September, according to new Statistics Canada figures released today.

The agency said the province’s retailers sold $1.4 billion worth of goods during the month. That was an increase of 1.2 per cent from the $1.39 billion worth sold in the previous month.

Manitoba was one of only five provinces to see an increase in sales from August to September. Its gain was the second biggest among the five, after Alberta’s 1.7 per cent.

The September total was also a 1.7 per cent improvement from a year earlier, when $1.38 billion worth of sales were sold. It was the fifth biggest increase among the eight provinces that posted year-over-year gains.

Nationally, Statistics Canada said retail sales edged up 0.1 per cent to $39.1 billion in September, helped by sales of new cars. It was the third straight monthly increase .

The biggest increase, in dollar terms, among all subsectors was a 0.6 per cent rise at motor vehicle and parts dealers, with new car sales up 0.9 per cent.

However, BMO Capital Markets economist Robert Kavcic noted that excluding auto sales, the results were flat and below consensus. Economists had expected growth of 0.5 per cent for the month.

"Indeed, sales growth has now cooled to a humble 1.8 per cent year over year as Canadian retailers face some stiff challenges," Kavcic wrote in a note to clients.

"In addition to cooling domestic consumer credit growth, this weekend’s likely stampede of shoppers south of the border will highlight the other challenges — a loonie near parity, more generous duty-free limits and more aggressive U.S. sale prices."

— with files by Canadian Press

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.