Canada's retail sales fall 0.8% to $66.1B in May

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Canada's retail sales declined 0.8% to $66.1 billion in May, the country's statistical authority said Friday.

The market expectation for the figure was to show a decrease of 0.5%, while retail sales rose 0.6% in April.

In May, sales were down in eight of nine subsectors, led by decrease at food and beverage retailers with 1.9%, Statistics Canada said in a statement.

The only increase in retail sales during the month of May was observed at motor vehicle and parts dealers, with a gain of 0.8%, which was up for the third time in four months.

Core retail sales, which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers, declined 1.4% in May.

The market estimate for the figure was to show a decrease of 0.5%, after core retail sales increased 1.2% in April.