Statistics Canada says retail sales rose 1.3% 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%.
Sales at beer, wine and liquor retailers helped lift the subsector as they rose 14.3% in November, rebounding after an 11.8% 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% in November.
In volume terms, retail sales gained 1.1%.
Looking ahead, Statistics Canada says its advance estimate for retail sales suggests a drop of 0.5% in December, though it cautioned the figure will be revised.