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Residents of this province delivered something of a protest over the carbon tax in June by parking their cars.
Retail sales figures for the month came out on Friday, one of those reports that captures a lot of attention because it is a nation-wide signal of how consumers are feeling. For us, it was all about our vehicles.
We bought fewer new ones and those that we do own were left in the garage as sales at gas stations and motor dealers accounted for almost all the 2.7-percent decline in overall sales in the retail sector. Now, that is a noticeable change. If you annualized it, it would be in the 30-percent range.
But even though it was more of a one-off, it was the biggest reduction in the country at a time when sales were pulling back in quite a few provinces. When all the numbers were tallied, Canadian retail spending was flat but the motor vehicle sector was the one taking it on the chin….partly through lower fuel costs but also partly because of a reduction in volume.
Source: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/190823/dq190823a-eng.htm?HPA=1
