Retail sales rise for fourth month in a row

OTTAWA — Retail sales rose in February for the fourth consecutive month, according to StatCan, up 0.3 percent to $52.2 billion. This marked the first time retail sales grew for four months in a row since the period ending in October 2018. Approximately 12 percent of retailers reported that both the rail blockades and COVID-19 had negatively affected their sales in February, but 1.6 percent saw sales increase, including many LBM and garden retailers. Overall sales in that sector were flat compared to January and up 6.7 percent from a year prior.