OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says retail sales rose 1.3 per cent to $70.4 billion in November after a deal was reached in B.C. to end a labour dispute that affected the province’s liquor distribution branch.
The agency says retail sales were up in eight of the nine subsectors it tracks with the food and beverage retailers gaining 3.0 per cent.
Sales at beer, wine and liquor retailers helped lift the subsector as they rose 14.3 per cent in November, rebounding after an 11.8 per cent drop in October amid the labour disruptions in B.C. that impacted the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages.
Core retail sales — which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers — rose 1.6 per cent in November.
In volume terms, retail sales gained 1.1 per cent.
Looking ahead, Statistics Canada says its advance estimate for retail sales suggests a drop of 0.5 per cent in December, though it cautioned the figure will be revised.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2026.
