OTTAWA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Canadian retail sales rose 0.1 percent to 49.1 billion Canadian dollars in September, far less than expected due to fall in purchases of vehicles and clothing, Statistics Canada said on Thursday.
Higher sales at gasoline stations, particularly due to higher prices, were the main contributor to the gain, Statistics Canada said in a release.
However, retail sales declined 0.2 percent, excluding sales in this subsector, the data showed.
The 0.1 percent increase was short of economists' forecasts for a gain of 0.9 percent, while volumes fared worse, dropping by 0.6 percent. Retail sales rose 0.5 percent in the third quarter, slowing from the second quarter's 1.4 percent increase.
The slower pace of growth, along with muted inflation and uncertain North American trade policy, is expected to keep the Bank of Canada on hold when it meets next month after raising interest rates twice earlier this year.
Gasoline sales climbed for a second straight month in September, up 2.6 percent, because supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Harvey in the United States lifted prices at the pump.
However, that was tempered by a 0.5 percent decline in sales of motor vehicles as Canadians bought fewer new and used cars while sales of clothing and accessories dropped 2.8 percent, according to the release.
