Canadian retail sales flat in March

   Canadian retail sales stayed flat in March at $39.5 billion, according to Statistics Canada.
   Retail volume rose 0.7 percent over February when price-change effects were removed from the equation.
   Clothing sales bumped up 3.1 percent, while motor vehicle and parts sales rose 0.7 percent, seeing an increase in activity for the third month in a row. Furniture and home furnishings were up 0.3 percent. Building material sales were basically flat compared to February, inching up 0.1 percent. Looking back to the middle of last year, sales in this sector have basically stayed the same.
   Sales at gas stations were down 1.3 percent in March, as general merchandise sales declined as well, falling 0.6 percent. After a large February gain, electronics sales were down 0.9 percent.
   Out of the six provinces, only Alberta and Saskatchewan showed declines in retail sales, falling 1.8 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. – Jon Ross