LBM, garden sales drive core retail growth

Retail sales decreased by 1.4 percent to $65.3 billion in March, according to the latest StatCan data. Sales fell in five out of nine subsectors, representing 55.5 percent of retail trade. The biggest declines were in automotive and fuel categories. Core retail sales for the month rose by 0.3 percent in March, the fourth consecutive increase. The gain was led by higher sales at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, which were up 1.6 percent.