Wholesale sales declined in February after advancing strongly in the previous two months, Statistics Canada said today.

The broad-based declines caused total sales to fall 1.1% to $41 billion.

Five of seven sectors experienced drops.

Statistics Canada says the largest declines took place in personal and household goods, which fell 3.7%, and automotive products, which were down 1.1%.

The farm products sector posted a 4.5% increase in sales after three months of steep declines.

Despite lower sales in February, wholesale sales have been on an upward trend since September 2003, with strength in most trade groups.

A drop in wholesale sales of apparel – down 25.7% – caused the personal and household goods sector to decline in February by 3.7%, reversing an upward trend that had persisted since the last quarter of 2004, largely on the termination of import quotas.