Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, fell 0.8% to $82.2 billion in May.
The overall decrease came as sales fell in five of the seven subsectors, with the largest decline coming from motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories, which decreased by 3.8% to $13.9 billion.
In volume terms, wholesale sales decreased by 0.8% in May.
Meanwhile, Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 0.4% to $71.4 billion in May, driven by 11.2% higher production in the aerospace product and parts industry group.
That followed an increase of 1.1% in April.
In constant dollars, Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 0.4% in May, indicating a higher volume of goods was sold.