In September, e-commerce sales increased by 3.3%, making up 6.2% of all retail transactions in Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, retail sales in Canada increased by 0.4% to $66.9 billion in September. Higher sales at food and beverage shops were the main driver of the rise, with advances seen in six out of nine subsectors. 

In September, core retail sales—which do not include petrol stations, fuel suppliers, or dealers of automobiles and parts—grew by 1.4%. Retail sales rose 0.8 percent in volume terms. Volume sales increased 1.3 percent for the third quarter, while retail sales increased 0.9 percent. 

Following a 0.5 percent drop in August, core retail sales increased by 1.4 percent in September, mostly as a result of growth at food and beverage stores, where sales rose 3.0 percent. Supermarkets and other grocery merchants saw the biggest gains, rising 3.3 percent to reverse a 1.9 percent decline in August. For the first time in three months, sales at stores selling beer, wine, and liquor increased by 4.4%. Dealers of garden goods and equipment, as well as building materials, reported a 3.0% rise in sales. 

There was just a 0.8 percent drop in core retail sales for merchants of apparel, accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage, and leather products. September saw a 2.3 percent drop in sales at gas stations and fuel suppliers, the sixth consecutive month of declines. Sales at petrol stations increased 3.2% in terms of volume. 

Sales at motor vehicle and parts retailers declined by 0.7 percent, with the biggest declines occurring at used car dealers (down 5.2 percent) and new car dealers (down 0.7 percent). Retailers of tires, car parts, and accessories experienced a 4.2 percent gain in sales, while other auto dealers witnessed a 2.0 percent loss.

In September, five provinces saw a rise in retail sales. The biggest rise, 2.3%, was seen in Alberta, where increased sales at auto and parts retailers were the main driver. 

Montréal had a 0.3 percent increase in sales, while Quebec recorded a 0.6 percent increase. Lower sales at auto and parts retailers were the main cause of Ontario's worst provincial fall, which came in at 0.1 percent. In Toronto, sales were steady.