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Retail sales were essentially unchanged in June as lower sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers as well as gas stations offset gains in most of the other subsectors, according to Statistics Canada.

Economists on average had expected a decline of 0.1%, according to the financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

Sales were down in four of 11 subsectors tracked by Statistics Canada.

Motor vehicle and parts dealers fell 2.5% in June as sales at new car dealers down 3.2%. Gasoline station sales fell 3.4% as the price of gasoline moved lower.

Excluding sales in these two subsectors, monthly retail sales gained 1.7%.

Retail sales in volume terms increased 0.4%.