Building materials sales up in September

OTTAWA — Following four months of gains, retail sales fell 0.5% in September to $43.3 billion, StatCan reports. Sales were down in eight of 11 subsectors, representing 60% of retail trade. After removing the effects of price changes, particularly lower gasoline prices, retail sales in volume terms edged up 0.1%. Sales at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers advanced 0.4%, though the level of sales remained below the all-time high recorded in May. Retail watcher Ed Strapagiel notes that the figures represent a “soft” trend leading into the holiday shopping season, bad news for store merchandisers, who rely on holiday sales the most.