The increasing price of gasoline failed to deter Canadians as August retail sales jumped 0.7 per cent to US$ 34.5 billion as they bought more automobiles, furniture and clothing during the month, well ahead of economists expectations.
New car sales, up three percent, led the gains despite a sharp drop in the amount of gasoline sold, media reports said.
The sale of pharmaceutical and personal care items increased 1.8 percent. Home furnishings and electronics jumped 1.5 percent. Clothing and jewellery registered gains of 1.4 percent.
