Statistics Canada reports retail sales down in January as new car sales fell

A retreat in new car purchases helped push the country’s retail sales down 0.3 per cent to $67 billion in January, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The national data agency revealed overall retail sales were down in three of nine subsectors it tracks with sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers falling 2.4 per cent, the category’s first decline in five months. Sales at new car dealers fell 3.0 per cent, while used car dealers gained 4.5 per cent.

The numbers cover a period when…