Derek Nighbor, (416) 922-6678, ext. 234; e-mail: dnighbor@retailcouncil.org
Prepared by: Jacobson Consulting Inc. (JCI) for Retail Council of Canada
Canadian Annual Retail Sales
RCC speaks for the retail trade — one that is vital to the daily lives of all Canadians. The more than 227,200 retail locations across the country generated close to $390 billion in annual sales in 2006. (See Figures 1 and 5 below).
Figure 1: 2008 Annual Retail Store Sales by Province (as of April 2008)
| Jurisdiction | 2008 Sales $ Millions | 2007/2008 % Change |
| Canada | 35,982 | 9.0% |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 572 | 1.6% |
| Prince Edward Island | 134 | 0.4% |
| Nova Scotia | 981 | 2.7% |
| New Brunswick | 803 | 2.2% |
| Quebec | 8,313 | 23.1% |
| Ontario | 12,839 | 35.7% |
| Manitoba | 1,251 | 3.5% |
| Saskatchewan | 1,198 | 3.3% |
| Alberta | 5,092 | 14.2% |
| British Columbia | 4,670 | 13.0% |
| Yukon Territory | 43 | 0.1% |
| Northwest Territories | 60 | 0.2% |
| Nunavut | 26 | 0.1% |
Canadian Retail Sales by Type of Store and Commodity
Retailers offer consumers an enormous range of products from around the world, which are sold through many types of retail formats. The figures below break out retail sales by type of store (Figure 2) and by type of commodity (Figure 3.) These provide quite different perspectives on the retail market. For example, included in the sales of clothing stores reported in Figure 2 will be sales of other types of merchandise, such as jewellery or sporting goods. Equally, some of the sales of clothing, footwear and accessories reported in Figure 3 will be made by other types of stores, such as general merchandise stores or supermarkets.
The mix of products sold and the types of stores operated reflects the wants and needs of Canadians in each community. In order to serve their customers well, retailers establish and maintain close links with the communities in which they are located. This in-depth understanding of local tastes and characteristics gives retailers a unique insight into Canadians' mindsets through their shopping patterns, and thus, critical insight into the economic health of our country.
Figure 2: 2006 Retail Trade by Type of Store
(Percentage Market Share)
Figure 3: 2006 Total Retail Sales by Commodity
(Percentage Market Share)
Retail: Canada's Second-Largest Labour Force
Retailers also develop strong ties with Canadians by generating more than 2 million jobs. In fact, the retail trade provides more than 12 per cent of all jobs in every community across the country and represents Canada's second-largest labour force. (See Figure 4). Many of these jobs lead to a career in retailing. For example, almost half a million of the jobs generated represent positions in managerial, business, finance and administration occupations — offering Canadians the ability to develop their skills and advance through the trade.
Figure 4: 2007 Labour Force Estimates
| Region | Total, All Industries (in 000s) | Retail trade (in 000s) | % of Provincial Labour Force | Rank by # in Labour Force |
| Canada | 17,945.8 | 2,148.8 | 12.0% | 2nd |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 251.2 | 35.1 | 14.0% | 1st |
| Prince Edward Island | 77.3 | 9.8 | 12.7% | 1st |
| Nova Scotia | 486.7 | 44.6 | 13.8% | 1st |
| New Brunswick | 392.4 | 47.9 | 12.2% | 2nd |
| Quebec | 4,150.1 | 507.5 | 12.2% | 2nd |
| Ontario | 7,043.5 | 1,012.0 | 11.9% | 2nd |
| Manitoba | 623.9 | 70.7 | 11.3% | 3rd |
| Saskatchewan | 523.8 | 65.0 | 12.4% | 1st |
| Alberta | 2,030.6 | 219.7 | 10.8% | 1st |
| British Columbia | 2,366.4 | 291.1 | 12.3% | 1st |
***Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey does not cover the Yukon, Nunavut or NWT.
Canadian Retail Establishments
The retail trade reaches every corner of the country, with more than 227,200 retail establishments in Canada. Retail is Canada's third-largest industry by number of businesses. Retail represents 9.7% of all Canadian business establishments. This holds true when considering both businesses with a payroll and a fixed address (the key criteria Statistics Canada uses to classify a business establishment), and when including indeterminate businesses such as sole proprietorships and partnerships, (i.e. usually without a payroll.)
Figure 5: 2007 Retail Establishments
| Region | # Total Establishments | # of Retail Establishments | % of Total Establishments | Rank by # of Establishments |
| Canada | 2,342,029 | 209,780 | 8.96% | 3rd |
| British Columbia | 357,038 | 29,239 | 8.19% | 4th |
| Alberta | 331,214 | 22,417 | 6.77% | 6th |
| Saskatchewan | 89,083 | 6,382 | 7.16% | 2nd |
| Manitoba | 74,619 | 6,498 | 8.71% | 3rd |
| Ontario | 880,842 | 80,783 | 9.17% | 2nd |
| Quebec | 468,106 | 48,448 | 10.35% | 3rd |
| New Brunswick | 42,386 | 4,796 | 11.32% | 1st |
| Nova Scotia | 54,767 | 6,002 | 10.96% | 2nd |
| Prince Edward Island | 10,556 | 983 | 9.31% | 3rd |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 27,074 | 3,649 | 13.48% | 1st |
| Yukon | 2,857 | 244 | 8.54% | 3rd |
| Northwest Territories | 2,634 | 254 | 9.64% | 3rd |
| Nunavut | 853 | 85 | 9.96% | 2nd |
Statistics Canada defines a statistical establishment as a physical unit where business operations are carried out. It must have a civic address and dedicated labour. Establishments (a) Produce a homogeneous set of goods or services; (b) Do not cross provincial boundaries; and (c) Provide data on input/output along with the cost and quantity of labour resources used to produce the output. Adapted from Statistics Canada, CANSIM and Catalogue No. 72-002 by JCI