Wholesale sales rose 0.1 per cent in January: Statistics Canada

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.1 per cent to $82.4 billion in January.

The agency says the increase from December came as sales climbed in three of the seven subsectors it studies, including machinery, equipment and supplies, and personal and household goods.

Sales in the machinery subsector alone grew by 1.4 per cent to $17.4 billion in January, its first increase in five months.

For a fourth consecutive month, the personal and household goods subsector also rose, jumping 1.8 per cent to $12 billion in January.

In volume terms, wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain. were unchanged in January.

Statistics Canada began including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade earlier this year but is excluding the data until there is enough historical data.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2024.

The Canadian Press