Retail sales log slight increase in October

OTTAWA — Retail sales edged up 0.4 percent to $54.6 billion in October, StatCan reports, marking the sixth consecutive monthly increase since the record decline in April. The sales growth was led by motor vehicle and parts dealers. Sales of building materials and garden equipment and supplies rose by 2.9 percent. Overall, retail sales increased in six of 11 subsectors, representing 50.9 percent of retail trade. In volume terms, sales edged up 0.2 percent in October.