Statistics Canada says retail sales in November were flat compared with October as gains in sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers and gasoline stations and fuel vendors offset lower sales in other areas.
The agency says overall retail sales totalled $67.6 billion in November, relatively unchanged from October.
However, Statistics Canada says its early estimate for December suggests a gain of 1.6% in the final month of 2024, though it cautioned the figure would be revised.
For November, sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers rose 2.0%, while gasoline stations and fuel vendors saw an increase of 0.7%.
Core retail sales — which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers — fell 1.0% in November.
In volume terms, overall Canadian retail sales dropped 0.4 % in November.