Sales at large retailers across the country cooled slightly in May, slipping 0.3% from April, Statistics Canada said today.

May’s drop was the first decline in sales at large retailers this year.

Half of the major commodity groups saw their sales fall in May, with the sharpest decline in the sales of clothing, footwear and accessories, which were off 2.4% from May 2004, said StatsCan.

Hardware, lawn and garden products, and sporting and leisure goods also posted decreases.

The strongest sales growth in May was in the food and beverages commodity group, which was up 6.2% year-over-year.

The survey includes large retailers mainly in the food, clothing, home furnishings, electronics, sporting goods, and general merchandise sectors. The retailers in the survey represent approximately 27% of total annual retail sales.