Canada: Retail sales increased for third consecutive month, rising 0.6% to $48.9 billion in May

"Retail sales increased for the third consecutive month, rising 0.6% to $48.9 billion in May. Sales were up in 5 of 11 subsectors, representing 56% of total retail trade," the Statistics Canada announced on Friday.

Key quotes:

• Higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers were the main contributor to the gain.

• Excluding sales in this subsector, retail sales were down 0.1% in May.

• After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales in volume terms rose 1.1%.