Canadian Retail Sales Rebound 1.2% to $74.6B

Statistics Canada released August retail sales figures on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, showing a 1.2% rise to C$74.6 billion. The gain reversed a 0.8% decline in July that had marked the first drop since December 2025. Every one of the nine subsectors the agency tracks posted higher sales. Motor vehicle and parts dealers climbed 1.2%, helped by a 1.5% increase at new car dealers. Core retail sales, which leave out motor vehicles, parts and fuel, advanced 1.1%. Food and beverage retailers rose 1.1%, and general merchandise retailers added 1%. Gasoline stations and fuel vendors recorded a 1.7% increase, their first in three months, even as that subsector's sales fell 0.5% when measured by volume. In volume terms, overall retail sales also rose 1.2%. The August result came in below the 1.3% rise economists had predicted. Statistics Canada's preliminary estimate points to a 0.7% increase for September, though the agency cautioned that figure is subject to revision. That would mark a slower pace than August's rebound from the July decline.