Canadian consumers ended 2024 on a high note with retail spending rising across the board, with every province posting an increase in December and for the year.
Saskatchewan was in the middle of the pack in terms of increases – we saw an improvement of almost five-and-a-half-percent compared to the four-percent national increase.
StatsCan says the year ended with the biggest growth in vehicle and parts sales. Interestingly, the cost of running those vehicles, notably the price of fuel, was down for the year.
Nationally, we ended last year with sales of $800 billion. That was up about one-percent over 2023. With inflation, that may well represent an actual reduction in the number of things we bought.
After the automotive market, the big gainers were general merchandise stores as well as health and personal care stores. They were up almost five-percent as we decided to look after ourselves a bit better.
Sales in supermarkets, beverage outlets and grocery stores were also up in 2024 – rising between one and two percent compared to 2023.
