Canadian retail sales dip in April

Canadian retail sales in April undid gains made in March, falling 0.5 percent to $38.9 billion, Statistics Canada reported Thursday. Sales declines in April were limited to the four most populous provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Those provinces account for about 85 percent of total retail sales, the agency said. "Lower sales were reported in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 78 percent of retail sales," the report said. The motor vehicle and parts dealers sector saw a 1.2 percent decline in April, while retail sales at clothing and clothing accessories stores declined 2.8 percent after six straight months of increases. The only notable gain StatsCan reported was for gasoline stations, whose 1.1 percent increase offset a decline a month earlier.