May retail growth cuts across provinces, sub-sectors

OTTAWA — Retail sales rose by 18.7 percent in May to $41.8 billion, according to StatCan. Motor vehicle and parts dealers led the growth, followed by an increase in sales in every other sub-sector except food and beverage sales, which saw a record increase of 23.2 percent in March. Sales of LBM and garden equipment and supplies amounted to $2.9 billion for the month, up 5.5 percent from April but 7.6 percent below last May’s sales. Although sales increased across all provinces in May, retail sales remain 20 percent below February levels.