Wholesale sales in Alberta declined in October for a third consecutive month, down 2.4 per cent to $6.6 billion, their lowest level since December 2017, reported Statistics Canada on Thursday.
The federal agency said the machinery, equipment and supplies (-4.6 per cent) and the building material and supplies (-6.6 per cent) subsectors contributed the most to the decline in October.
Year-over-year sales in Alberta were down 0.8 per cent.
In Canada, wholesale sales rose one per cent to $63.8 billion in October, more than offsetting the 0.7 per cent decline in September. Sales were up in four of seven subsectors, representing about 68 per cent of total wholesale sales.
“The machinery, equipment and supplies, and the personal and household goods subsectors contributed the most to the gains in October, while the motor vehicle and parts subsector posted the largest decline,” said StatsCan.
“The machinery, equipment and supplies subsector rose 2.8 per cent to $13.4 billion in October, a third increase in four months. Sales were up in three of four industries, led by the farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment industry (+9.4 per cent), its first increase in four months. Imports of industrial machinery, equipment and parts (+1.5 per cent) and manufactured machinery sales (+2.9 per cent) also increased in October.
“Sales in the personal and household goods subsector were up 3.1 per cent to $9.3 billion on higher sales in the pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies industry (+5.2 per cent).”
The federal agency said inventories in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector (+3.6 per cent) posted the largest gain, following a 1.8 per cent decline in September. All three industries rose, with the food industry contributing the most to the increase.
“The inventory-to-sales ratio was unchanged at 1.38 in October. This ratio is a measure of the time in months required to exhaust inventories if sales were to remain at their current level,” it said.
On a year-over-year basis, wholesale sales in Canada are up by 2.7 per cent.
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