
Agency says while higher prices helped boost retail sales, overall retail spending in terms of volume was unchanged last month
Statistics Canada says retail spending in Canada showed early signs of a slowdown last month.
According to data released today, higher prices for items like gas and food helped boost retail sales by 1.4 percent last month.
However, in terms of volume, overall retail spending was unchanged.
Officials say the data points to less spending on goods, despite Black Friday sales at the end of the month.
Sales at food and beverage stores rose by 2.2 percent, however, sales on discretionary items like furniture and electronics were about one percent lower than the previous month.