The Canadian Statistics Agency said that retail sales rose by 1.4 percent to reach 66.4 billion dollars in January, supported by gains achieved in the automobile trade and spare parts as well as gas stations.

This result surpassed the agency's preliminary estimate for the month, which indicated gains of 0.7 percent for the first month of 2023.

However, the Canadian Statistics Agency said its preliminary estimate for February indicates a 0.6 percent decrease for the month, although it warns that the figure will be adjusted.

For January, sales in the automobile trade and spare parts rose by 3.0 percent, driven by an increase in sales at new car dealers which rose by 3.0 percent. Meanwhile, sales at gas stations and fuel sellers increased by 2.9 percent despite a decrease in volume sales, but gasoline prices rose.

Core retail sales - excluding gas stations, fuel sellers, and automobile dealers and spare parts - also rose by 0.5 percent during the month.

In terms of volume, retail sales increased by 1.5 percent in January.