Canada: Retail sales decreased 0.8% in December

"Following three consecutive monthly increases, retail sales decreased 0.8% in December to $49.6 billion," Statistics Canada reported this Thursday.

Key highlights:

Despite this decline, retail sales were up 1.5% in the fourth quarter and up 6.7% for the year.

Sales fell in 6 of 11 subsectors, representing 42% of retail trade.

Excluding motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales decreased 1.8%.

Motor vehicle and parts dealers reported a 2.1% increase in December, following a 3.4% decrease in November.