It was a hiccup for sales at retail tills in Canada in February, according to figures released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.
The agency reported retail sales fell more than expected in February as sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers sank for the first time in seven months and as consumers paid less for gasoline at the pump.
The nation's number-crunchers said sales were down 0.6%, falling by more than economists' projections of 0.1%, though January was revised slightly higher to a gain of 2.3% from the previously reported 2.2%.
StatsCan said sales declined in five out of 11 sectors, accounting for 67% of total retail sales. Stripping out the effects of prices changes, volumes dipped 0.1%.
Vehicle and parts saw sales decline 1.8%, driven by weaker new car sales. Sales at gas stations tumbled 3.6%, the first decline in three months, due to lower prices. Excluding those two sectors, retail sales were up 0.5%. Food sales were also down.
