Canadian
National Retail Bulletin
Wellness Pulls and Supply Pinches: February Canadian Retail Sales Present a Divided Consumer
February delivered 4.0% YOY growth across All Stores, with discretionary momentum holding firm: All Stores less Automotive, Food, and Pharmacies climbed 5.6% YOY. Overall, growth was uneven, with consumers spending more on health and wellness while pulling back on electronics and alcohol. Three main factors drove February’s results. First, Health and Personal Care Sales increased 9.1% YOY as consumers invested more in wellness products and treatments. Second, Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores fell -5.2% YOY, likely reflecting pricing and product shift from American stock. Third, Electronics and Appliance Stores dropped -14.0% YOY due to RAM supply shortages and weak housing market demand.
The strength in Health and Personal Care reflects broader wellness trends. Social media platforms are driving interest in daily wellness routines and turning them into mainstream consumer behaviours. At the same time, the increased prevalence of GLP-1 drugs are reinforcing this shift. We see the ripple down effect as consumers using these treatments are eating out less and buying more specialty foods (up 5.5% year over year), while also spending more on beauty, skincare, and ongoing health routines. The recent approval of a generic version of Ozempic in Canada could improve affordability and access. The key question is whether broader adoption will increase total spending or moderate it as prices come down.
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores declined -5.2% YOY, a reversal that appears to be driven by supply and product mix changes in addition to a drop in demand. Retailers who stockpiled American liquor through early 2025 have largely run dry; U.S. products began pulling off shelves last March, leaving consumers with a different mix of products. The decline may reflect lower volumes as shoppers adjust to fewer familiar or preferred options, in addition to the broader trend of moderation tied to wellness behaviours and reduced consumption. Either way, the easy value that U.S. imports once provided is gone, and retailers are navigating an environment with uncertain consumer tolerance.
Electronics and Appliances Stores fell -14.0% YOY. Supply constraints, particularly around key components such as RAM, continue to limit availability, with tight global memory supply driven in part by strong demand from AI infrastructure and data centre buildouts, which is absorbing a larger share of industry capacity. At the same time, demand is also soft. A flat housing and condo market means fewer moves and delayed appliance purchases and upgrades. Consumers are holding onto products longer and replacing them less often.
As we move into spring, JCWG is thinking about:
- Will generic GLP-1s accelerate spend shift or plateau it by normalizing costs and broadening access?
- Can electronics recover without a RAM supply reset, or will AI demand keep consumer tech starved through 2026?
- If housing stays stagnant, how long does appliance demand remain muted? What does this mean for retailers’ inventory and promotional strategies?
- How are YOU positioning wellness products and services to benefit from GLP-1-driven behaviour changes?
For support with your 2026 retail strategy, reach out to the team at JCWG!
Retail Sales by Product Category, Same Month Comparison
| Sales for the Month of February | Feb-26 | Feb-25 | YOY |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Stores | 59,612,454 | 57,311,827 | 4.01% |
| Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers | 15,869,134 | 14,991,840 | 5.85% |
| Gasoline Stations | 5,620,136 | 5,893,747 | -4.64% |
| All Stores Less Automotive | 38,123,184 | 36,426,240 | 4.66% |
| Food and Beverage Stores | 11,783,647 | 11,550,471 | 2.02% |
| Supermarkets and Other Grocery Stores* | 8,717,834 | 8,454,536 | 3.11% |
| Convenience Stores | 583,564 | 569,755 | 2.42% |
| Specialty Food Stores | 856,700 | 811,794 | 5.53% |
| Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores | 1,625,549 | 1,714,385 | -5.18% |
| Health and Personal Care Stores | 5,770,051 | 5,288,273 | 9.11% |
| All Stores Less Automotive, Food, and Pharmacies | 20,569,486 | 19,587,496 | 5.01% |
| General Merchandise Stores | 9,055,600 | 8,368,944 | 8.20% |
| Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronic and Appliance Stores | 2,703,169 | 2,864,155 | -5.62% |
| Furniture Stores | 929,631 | 940,753 | -1.18% |
| Home Furnishings Stores | 617,591 | 579,923 | 6.50% |
| Electronics and Appliance Stores | 1,155,947 | 1,343,479 | -13.96% |
| Clothing and Accessories Stores | 2,776,807 | 2,654,436 | 4.61% |
| Clothing Stores | 2,169,868 | 2,031,066 | 6.83% |
| Shoe Stores | 242,992 | 245,258 | -0.92% |
| Jewellery, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores | 363,947 | 378,113 | -3.75% |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores | 3,457,727 | 3,162,442 | 9.34% |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment | 2,576,185 | 2,537,518 | 1.52% |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers | 2,430,301 | 2,196,072 | 10.67% |
| Cannabis Retailers | 440,520 | 408,216 | 7.91% |
| Foodservices and Drinking Places | 7,442,461 | 6,952,396 | 7.05% |
Retail Sales by Store Category, Year to Date Comparison
| Year-to-Date Sales Ending February | Feb-26 | Feb-25 | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Stores | 121,196,314 | 117,837,635 | 2.85% |
| Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers | 31,010,359 | 30,812,855 | 0.64% |
| Gasoline Stations | 11,474,740 | 12,066,576 | -4.90% |
| All Stores Less Automotive | 78,711,215 | 74,958,204 | 5.01% |
| Food and Beverage Stores | 24,489,402 | 23,673,212 | 3.45% |
| Supermarkets and Other Grocery Stores* | 18,244,381 | 17,460,992 | 4.49% |
| Convenience Stores | 1,191,136 | 1,178,594 | 1.06% |
| Specialty Food Stores | 1,718,388 | 1,614,795 | 6.42% |
| Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores | 3,335,497 | 3,418,829 | -2.44% |
| Health and Personal Care Stores | 11,975,076 | 10,932,427 | 9.54% |
| All Stores Less Automotive, Food, and Pharmacies | 42,246,737 | 40,352,565 | 4.69% |
| General Merchandise Stores | 18,339,580 | 16,934,434 | 8.30% |
| Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronic and Appliance Stores | 5,708,997 | 6,146,657 | -7.12% |
| Furniture Stores | 1,969,996 | 2,047,799 | -3.80% |
| Home Furnishings Stores | 1,249,325 | 1,219,326 | 2.46% |
| Electronics and Appliance Stores | 2,489,676 | 2,879,531 | -13.54% |
| Clothing and Accessories Stores | 5,639,620 | 5,404,809 | 4.34% |
| Clothing Stores | 4,428,887 | 4,200,136 | 5.45% |
| Shoe Stores | 510,961 | 517,105 | -1.19% |
| Jewellery, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores | 699,772 | 687,570 | 1.77% |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores | 7,187,805 | 6,521,292 | 10.22% |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment | 5,370,737 | 5,345,373 | 0.47% |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers | 4,998,980 | 4,460,671 | 12.07% |
| Cannabis Retailers | 918,759 | 846,072 | 8.59% |
| Foodservices and Drinking Places | 15,161,901 | 14,269,120 | 6.26% |
Ecommerce Sales
| Feb-26 | Feb-25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce Sales, YTD | 3,894,940 | 3,764,543 | 2.30% |
| Ecommerce Sales, YOY | 4,071,615 | 3,985,960 | 2.15% |
Regional Sales, Year to Date Comparison
| Region | Year-to-Date, 2026 | Year-to-Date, 2025 | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 16,858,309 | 14,958,583 | 12.70% |
| Vancouver | 8,739,119 | 8,666,053 | 0.84% |
| Alberta | 15,823,257 | 14,958,583 | 5.78% |
| Prairies* | 7,921,513 | 7,785,290 | 1.75% |
| Ontario | 45,597,434 | 44,678,599 | 2.06% |
| Toronto | 21,206,027 | 20,702,799 | 2.43% |
| Québec | 26,336,462 | 25,372,014 | 3.80% |
| Montréal | 12,959,088 | 12,725,189 | 1.84% |
| Atlantic Canada | 8,214,888 | 7,984,086 | 2.89% |
| Territories | 444,450 | 441,118 | 0.76% |
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