CGTA research conducted in 2010 indicated that members wanted to be provided with access to timely and relevant articles that would assist them in running their businesses. In order of descending importance, CGTA members ranked the following as areas of interest: sales and marketing, new product development, consumer and market trends (to keep abreast of changing consumer behaviours), information technology, personnel issues and channel/distribution trends.

The following articles come from topflight consulting firms. Some articles are short and some are long, but we leave it to you to decide if you want to access these through the links provided. In the end, our goal is to save you time and to help you succeed.

If at any time you have a need for information, we will try and find it. We're here to help. Contact Tom Foran, Director of Publications and Research and Publisher of Retail News magazine at 416-642-1027 (direct) or by e-mail at tforan@cgta.org. He will be happy to offer you his 30 years of senior level sales and marketing experience at no cost.

Facts & Figures

Click on the links to study the latest numbers for Canadian retail sales and business and consumer confidence.

February 2013 Retail Sales

April 2013 Business Confidence

April 2013 Consumer Confidence

Facts & Figures (continued from above)

February 2013 Retail Sales
Down Slightly
Compared to the same month one year ago, February unadjusted retail sales declined 1.6% (excluding automotive and gasoline).

Following a January sales drop of 6.3%, gift, novelty and souvenir sales increased marginally by 0.9%. Home furnishings posted the largest increase – 9.6%. However, most categories pertinent to the giftware industry posted year-over-year sales declines.

Ontario and Quebec experienced sales decreases of 3% and 2% respectively.

To read the full Statistics Canada unadjusted sales report by industry, click here.

(1) Includes giftware retailers

Source: Statistics Canada

Small Business Barometer
Optimism Inches Downward in April
Canada’s small business optimism inched downward in April, following on the heels of a larger decline in March. After a promising start to the year, more business owners appear disappointed with their firms’ performance so far this spring. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) Business Barometer® Index now stands at 62.4, half a point below March’s reading and four points under February’s. The latest levels are now back in line with what we had seen in the final months of 2012 when the economy was exhibiting only lukewarm growth.

In March, retailer confidence fell almost four full points. April’s confidence posted a further decline of 5.4 points at 57.8, down from 63.2. Wholesaler confidence increased marginally from 64.2 in March to 64.6 in April.

The patterning across the country, however, has been quite uneven. Most of the weaker confidence perspectives are centred in the Prairie Provinces, along with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec. British Columbia and Ontario, on the other hand, showed modest increases in optimism. Looking at the results by industry, the biggest declines in optimism were seen in manufacturing and retail. Sentiment among owners of construction, wholesale and business services firms have held up reasonably well.

To read the full report, click here. 

Measured on a scale between 0 and 100, an index level above 50 means owners expecting their business' performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting weaker performance. One normally sees an index level of between 65 and 70 when the economy is growing at its potential.

Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Business

April Consumer Confidence
Sinks Again Over Continued Uncertainty over Housing and Jobs
After a slight recovery in March, Canadian Consumer Confidence suffered another significant setback amid reports of lacklustre job creation, a continuously slumping housing market, and continued worries over high debt. According to the latest consumer confidence survey conducted by TNS, the Canadian Consumer Confidence Index dropped more than two full points, sliding from 96.5 in March to 94.4 in April.

The Present Situation Index measures how people feel about the economy right now. It rebounded in March from a sharp drop in February, but fell sharply again in April, dropping more than four points from 97.3 to 92.7.

The Expectations Index, which measures people’s outlook for the economy six months from now, also dropped more than a point, slipping from 101.1 in March to 99.0 this month.

The Buy Index, which measures the extent to which Canadians feel that now is a good time to purchase a “big ticket item” such as a car or a major household appliance, actually bucked the trend in April, rising 1.2 points from 91.0 to 92.2. This likely reflects some pent-up demand now that we will be heading into summer and people are spending money on renovations and upgrades.

To read the full report, click here. (PDF format)

Source: TNS Canada

BACK TO TOP