LBM, garden sales rise in November

Retail sales in November rose at their fastest pace since September, StatCan reports, up 1.3 percent to $55.2 billion. This was the seventh consecutive monthly gain. The increase was led by higher sales at food and beverage stores, along with an uptick in e-commerce sales. Sales of building and garden materials rose by 2.2 percent, the fourth straight monthly increase. Sales were up in seven of 11 subsectors, representing 53.4 percent of retail trade. In volume terms, retail sales rose 1.2 percent in November.