Wholesale trade, August 2026

Released: 2026-10-15

Wholesale sales decrease in August

Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) declined 1.6% to $91.6 billion in August. Sales decreased in five of the seven subsectors, representing 70.6% of total wholesale sales. The largest decreases came from the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-3.8% to $15.1 billion) and the agricultural supplies industry group (-12.4% to $3.5 billion). Wholesale sales were 7.2% higher in August compared with the same month one year earlier.

In volume terms, wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) fell 1.8% in August.

Chart 1 
Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and oilseed and grain) decrease in August

Wholesale sales decline, driven by lower sales of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories

Sales in the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector declined 3.8% to $15.1 billion in August, following six months of consecutive increases. All three industry groups reported a decrease in August, driven by the motor vehicle industry group, which fell 4.6% to $12.1 billion.

The agricultural supplies industry group posted the next-largest decrease in August, with its sales dropping 12.4% to $3.5 billion. Notably, sales from potash companies were lower in August.

The decrease in wholesale sales in August was moderated by an increase in the building material and supplies subsector (+1.4% to $14.1 billion), the eighth consecutive increase. The lumber, millwork, hardware and other building supplies industry group (+3.3% to $6.6 billion) drove the increase.

Ontario and Saskatchewan lead provincial sales decline

In August, six provinces reported lower wholesale sales, led by Ontario and followed by Saskatchewan.

Ontario posted a decrease in sales, down 1.6% to $47.8 billion in August, following six months of consecutive increases. Lower sales were recorded in five of the seven subsectors, with the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-3.7% to $10.5 billion) driving the decrease.

Saskatchewan posted the second-largest decrease in provincial wholesale sales in August, declining 8.2% to $3.8 billion. Sales decreased in three of the seven subsectors, with the agricultural supplies industry group within the miscellaneous subsector reporting the largest decrease.

Wholesale inventories unchanged

Wholesale inventories (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, other hydrocarbons, and oilseed and grain) were unchanged in August, at $141.0 billion.

Inventories decreased in three out of the seven subsectors in August. The largest decrease occurred in the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-3.7% to $17.9 billion), followed by the food, beverage and tobacco subsector (-1.5% to $15.8 billion).

Partially offsetting these decreases was an increase from the personal and household goods subsector (+3.5% to $23.3 billion). Inventories increased in most of the industry groups, led by the pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies industry (+6.6% to $11.9 billion).

The inventory-to-sales ratio rose from 1.51 in July to 1.54 in August. This ratio measures the time (in months) required to exhaust inventories if sales were to remain at current levels.

Contact information

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