Retail Sales up Slightly in August as Consumer Spending Remains Muted

A shopper walks in downtown Montreal on Dec. 19, 2023. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

Canadian retail sales rose 0.4 percent to $66.6 billion in August, helped by higher new car sales, Statistics Canada said Friday.

However, core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and fuel vendors and motor vehicle and parts dealers—fell 0.4 percent in August.