Canadian retail gross sales slipped 0.6% all the way down to $69.4 billion in January, following a 2.5% spike in December, studies Statistics Canada.

The most important declines got here from three of 9 subsectors: motorized vehicle and components sellers (-2.6%), meals and beverage retailers (-2.5%), and sporting items, pastime, guide and miscellaneous shops (-2.2%).

Notable will increase had been recorded at gasoline stations and gasoline distributors (+3.2%), furnishings, electronics and equipment retailers (+3.0%), and sellers of constructing supplies and backyard provides (+1.6%).

Core retail gross sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motorized vehicle and components sellers—dipped 0.2% in January, following a 2.7% improve in December.

GST vacation continues to skew knowledge; carbon tax minimize might provide modest aid

The GST/HST break that took impact on December 15 helped drive December’s spending surge, with analysts anticipating the influence to linger in early 2024 knowledge.

In the meantime, the removing of the patron carbon tax, set in movement by Mark Carney, may assist help spending, senior BMO economist Shelly Kaushik famous, although the change gained’t take impact till April.

“The tax vacation will proceed so as to add some noise to the information by way of March—simply in time for tariff uncertainty to hit shopper sentiment—although the removing of the patron carbon tax may add a buffer beginning in April,” she wrote.

StatCan’s early estimate for February retail gross sales factors to a 0.4% decline, although the determine is topic to revision when the information is launched on April 25.

Tariff considerations contribute to softer shopper spending

“Trying forward, uncertainty looms,” wrote TD Economics’ Maria Solovieva. She famous TD’s inner credit score and debit card knowledge present weaker shopper spending in Q1, in step with January’s decline.

Put up-holiday belt-tightening is typical for Canadian customers, however the added layer of tariff uncertainty is just not. Whereas Solovieva famous tariffs may immediate some short-term stockpiling, any ensuing increase to the economic system can be “short-lived.”

“Customers stay cautious and should restrain spending additional till there’s extra readability on the outlook for jobs, incomes and costs,” she mentioned. “We’ve pencilled in a 2.7% (annualized) progress in shopper spending for Q1, and doubtlessly a contraction within the following quarters.”

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Final modified: March 21, 2025