Retail sales in Alberta jumped 2% in April: Statistics Canada

Retail sales in Alberta jumped two per cent to $6.3 billion in the month of April the first time spending has risen in five months, official figures show.

The spike was largely driven by higher sales at gas stations andto a lesser extent, general merchandise stores, building materials suppliersand garden centres, according to the Statistics Canada retail trade report.

Retail sales increased in every province, except Manitoba, in April. Across the countrysales rose 0.9 per cent to $44.3 billion in April, reversing a drop in March.

Statistics Canada says the overall increase for April was driven by a gain in sales at gasoline stations which climbed 6.0 per cent due to higher prices at the pump.

When the higher cost of gasoline was factored out, the overall volume of retail sales remained "relatively flat," the report said.

The result matched the expectations of economists, according to Thomson Reuters.

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