Wholesale sales rise 0.3% in July 2026

Wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.3% to $93.1 billion in July 2026, according to data released Sept. 15, 2026.

The gain came in three of the seven subsectors, representing about 50% of total wholesale sales. Building material and supplies led, up 3.5% to $13.8 billion, driven by the metal service centres industry group, which jumped 10.3% to $2.6 billion, partly on higher steel prices. Food, beverage and tobacco added 1.7% to $16.7 billion, with the food industry group rising 1.5% to $14.9 billion on higher volumes.

Growth was held back by a 31.4% drop in mineral, ore and precious metal sales to $899.6 million, partly due to lower precious metal volumes. That decline pushed the miscellaneous subsector down 2.9% to $12.3 billion, its first fall since February.

In volume terms, wholesale sales fell 0.6%. Year-over-year sales were 7.9% higher.

Provincial sales rose in six provinces, led by Ontario and British Columbia. Ontario increased 1.0% to $48.7 billion, with the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector up 2.7% to $10.9 billion, its sixth straight gain. British Columbia rose 4.9% to $9.0 billion, led by building material and supplies, up 24.2% to $2.6 billion. Quebec fell 2.8% to $15.7 billion, concentrated in personal and household goods, down 11.6% to $3.1 billion.

Wholesale inventories were essentially unchanged in July at $140.6 billion. The largest inventory declines were in personal and household goods, down 1.7% to $22.5 billion, and miscellaneous, down 1.1% to $15.8 billion. The inventory-to-sales ratio edged down to 1.51 from 1.52 in June. The ratio measures the months needed to exhaust inventories if sales remain at current levels.