Statistics Canada Says Retail Sales Rose 0.7 Percent in April to $66.8 Billion

Canadian retail sales rose 0.7 percent to $66.8 billion in April, helped by higher sales at gasoline stations as well as food and beverage retailers. The agency said on June 21 sales were up in seven of the nine subsectors it tracks as sales at gasoline stations and fuel vendors gained 4.5 percent. However, Statistics Canada added that its advance estimate for retail sales in May pointed to a decline of 0.6 percent, though it cautioned the figure would be revised. “The overall trend in spending points to softness, with the three-month average growth rate barely moving into positive territory in April, then reverting back in May,” TD Bank economist Maria Solovieva wrote in report....