MNI: 5 Things We Learned From Canadian Retail Sales Data>

     OTTAWA (MNI) - The following are the key points from the November 

data on Canadian retail sales released Thursday by Statistics Canada: 

     - Total sales edged up 0.2%, below expectations of a 0.8% gain, to 

a record C$50.1 billion, after rising 1.6% in October. The 12-month 

growth rate slowed to 6.5% from 6.7%. 

     - Sales volumes, more relevant to real GDP, were up 0.3% after 

rising 1.5% in October, bringing down the 12-month gain to 4.5% in 

November from 5.0% the previous month. 

     - The overall picture was mixed. While six of 11 subsectors 

recorded gains, they represented just 37% of retail trade. Regionally, 

sales were up in half of the provinces, led by Quebec. 

     - Core sales excluding autos and gas stations help up well with a 

0.9% increase on the back of a 1.0% gain in October. 

     - Auto and parts sales contracted 3.6%, while gas station receipts 

rose 5.9%, owing to higher prices. Sales excluding autos and parts rose 

1.6%, more than expected by analysts, while sales excluding gas stations 

contracted 0.5%. 

--MNI Ottawa Bureau; email: yali.ndiaye@marketnews.com 

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