Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers—increased by 1.5 per cent, posting its fifth consecutive monthly increase.
One of the largest decreases to core retail sales came from furniture and home furnishings.
Retail sales increased in eight provinces. The largest provincial increase was observed in Ontario (1.3 per cent). In Quebec, retail sales increased by 0.9 per cent in the month.
The largest provincial decrease in the month was observed in Newfoundland and Labrador (minus 1.1 per cent).
On a seasonally-adjusted basis, retail e-commerce sales were down by 6.1 per cent to $3.6 billion in April, accounting for 5.5 per cent of total retail trade compared with 5.9 per cent in March.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)