Retail data deceiving: Strapagiel

TORONTO — StatCan’s latest numbers, which show a cross-category uptick in retail sales, should be taken with a grain of salt, according to retail analyst Ed Strapagiel. Because the latest data are for February, they don’t reflect the dramatic measures taken beginning in mid-March to combat the viral outbreak. Moreover, he says, much of the improvement is simply a rebound from the softness of February 2019. E-commerce, on the other hand, is in a unique position to gain from the current crisis. “Some of this is likely to be a permanent gain for e-commerce – we just don’t know how much,” he writes.