Statistics Canada says retail sales declined 2.1 per cent to $53.8 billion in May. The largest declines occurred at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-11.3 per cent) and motor vehicle and parts dealers (-2.4 per cent). During the month of May, many retailers continued to face closures due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sales were down in eight provinces.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba were the two provinces that bucked that trend. In our province, sales rose 1.7 per cent. In Manitoba, they were up 0.3 per cent. In both provinces, sales growth was led by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers. This was the fifth consecutive sales increase in Saskatchewan. Total sales in this province rang in at $1.81 billion. Compared to the same month a year ago, sales in Saskatchewan in May were up about 21 per cent.