LBM, garden supplies drag July retail sales

OTTAWA — Retail sales rose 0.6 percent to $52.9 billion in July, StatCan reports, led by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers and gasoline stations. Core retail sales, which exclude these two subsectors, declined 1.2 percent, due in part to an 11.6 percent drop in sales at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers. Overall, the recovery in total retail sales has been V-shaped, with sales in June and July, respectively, rebounding from the record low observed in April.