LBM, garden suppy sales slide after June spike

OTTAWA — Retail sales advanced for the first time in three months, StatCan reports, increasing 0.4% in July to $51.5 billion. Higher sales were reported in six of 11 subsectors representing 71% of retail trade. Sales at building materials and garden equipment and supplies dealers decreased 3.2% after increasing 5% in June, while remaining above the level observed in May. After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales in volume terms were essentially unchanged in July.