Canadian wholesale sales rose for a third consecutive month, edging up 0.3% to $37.4 billion worth of goods and services, Statistics Canada said today.

StatsCan said the May increase came primarily because of strong increases in food products and computers.

May’s increase followed a rise of 1.% in April and 5.2% in March. Excluding the automotive sector, sales grew 0.8% in May.

Wholesale sales reached $37.4 billion in May. Increases were recorded in 7 of the 15 wholesale trade groups, which accounted for some 43% of total activity.

Apart from the 2.6% increase by the food products trade group, sizable increases were also recorded by wholesalers of computers and other electronic equipment (+4.4%) and office and professional equipment (+2.8%).

Wholesale sales of motor vehicles declined 2% in May. There were also sizable decreases in the other products category (-1.8%) and farm products (-8.8%).

StatsCan said the strong performance of the past three months contrasts with the previous 12, when wholesale trade was generally lackluster owing to declining motor vehicle sales.

Meanwhile, StatsCan said the leading indicator grew 1.1% in June, comparable with the 1.2% advance in May—the largest increases since spring 2002.

Nine out of the 10 components continued to rise, led again by housing and the US leading indicator. Again, the three manufacturing components rose in unison.

StatsCan said the housing sector remained a pillar of strength, up 3.% in June. This was the largest of four straight increases, as the West reinforced gains in central Canada. Driven by the housing boom, outlays for furniture and appliances accelerated for the third month in a row, up 1.1%.

The statistical agency noted that the U.S. leading indicator posted its 13th straight increase. Similar to Canada, growth was spread among 9 of its 10 components. This upturn has accompanied a sharp rebound in our exports to the United States.