Surging auto sales spurred on by employee-pricing programs helped drive retail sales and services to a record $31.3 billion in July, Statistics Canada reported today.

Smaller increases in food, furniture and in drug stores also helped to push total sales up 1.5% from June, the government agency said.

“Excluding sales by dealers of new, used and recreational vehicles and auto parts from total retail sales, July’s growth rate was a more moderate 0.7%,” the agency said in a release.

StatsCan said higher gasoline prices at the pump were the only significant price change affecting retail trade in July.

Total retail sales in July were 7.9% above those in July last year.

The agency said consumer retail spending has been particularly strong since the start of 2005.