Canada: retail sales increased 0.6% in March

"Retail sales increased for the third consecutive month in March, rising 0.6% to $50.2 billion," Statistics Canada reported this Friday.

Main highlights:

   •  Sales were up in 6 of 11 subsectors, representing 53% of retail trade. 
   •  Excluding sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales were down 0.2% in March.
   •  After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales in volume terms increased 0.8%.