Statistics Canada reports retail sales up 0.7 per cent at $72.1B in February

Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist at Servus, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the latest Canadian retail data.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says retail sales rose 0.7 per cent to $72.1 billion in February as sales at new and used car dealers climbed higher.

The agency says sales were up in seven of nine subsectors, boosted by motor vehicle and parts dealers which rose 1.0 per cent.

Sales at new car dealers gained 0.7 per cent, while used car dealers added 4.0 per cent.

Core retail sales, which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers, rose 0.6 per cent in February.

In volume terms, retail sales increased 0.3 per cent in February.

Looking ahead, Statistics Canada says its advance estimate of overall retail sales for March pointed to a gain of 0.6 per cent for the month, though it cautioned the figure would be revised.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2026.