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%

Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 63-005-XIE, and CANSIM by JCI.

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

Adapted from Statistics Canada, CANSIM and Catalogue No. 72-002 by JCI
***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

**Retail establishments include all store-type retailers including grocery, auto dealers and gas stations. Retail establishments DO NOT include certain categories such as travel agencies, dry cleaners, restaurants or other 'services', such as hairstylists, massage therapists, etc.
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