Statistics Canada says Canadian retail sales were up 0.7 per cent to $58.1 billion in November amid higher sales at gas stations and building materials stores.
The agency says sales in November climbed in six of 11 subsectors, representing nearly 63.8 per cent of retail trade.
It adds that severe flooding in British Columbia and parts of Atlantic Canada damaged infrastructure and disrupted business operations, impacting retail sales.
Overall core retail sales – which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers – increased 0.5 per cent.
In volume terms, retail sales were up 0.2 per cent in November.
Statistics Canada says its preliminary estimate for December pointed to a decrease in retail sales of 2.1 per cent for the month as the Omicron COVID-19 variant took hold, but it cautioned the figure would be revised.
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