December Retail Sales Gain Likely Won’t Last as StatCan Sees January Sales Falling

Shoppers walk in downtown Montreal on Dec. 19, 2023. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

Retail sales in December came in slightly stronger than economists were expecting, driven by strong sales for new cars and parts.

Statistics Canada reported retail sales rose 0.9 percent to $67.3 billion in the month, while sales were up in five of nine subsectors.