Canadian retail sales join many other indicators on an upward trend

In the ongoing effort to monitor where consumer spending is headed, Statistics Canada reported that retail sales in November 2009 declined 0.3% versus October. However, this left them 1.2% ahead of November 2008.
On a three-month moving-average “smoothed” basis (-1.0%), total retail sales were almost back to even, year over year. They had been as bad as -5.7% in February.
Total retail sales have been on an improving trend and “smoothed” auto and parts sales have been a big part of the reason. Motor vehicle sales did idle in November, however.

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