Canadian retail sales dropped 0.3% in August, the first decline since March, as higher interest rates start to impact household budgets. Seven of the nine retail subsectors saw sales increases in July, led by food and beverage retailers, while motor vehicle and parts dealers saw the largest decrease. Excluding autos, retail sales in July rose 1%, double expectations. The report suggests Canadians are tightening spending as more face higher mortgage payments and gas prices due to Bank of Canada rate hikes aimed at slowing inflation.

1. Retail Sales and
Consumer
Spending Analysis
and Commentary
– Canada
PAUL YOUNG CPA CGA
SENIOR DATA AND AI THOUGHT
LEADER

2. Paul Young - Bio
• CPA, CGA (1996)
• Academia (PF1, FA4, FN2, MU1. and MS2)
• SME – Customer Success Management
• SME – Risk Management
• SME – ESG and Sustainability Policies and
Reporting
• SME – Close, Consolidate and Reporting
• SME – Public Policy
• SME – Emerging Technology
• SME – Business Process Change
• SME – Financial Solutions
• SME – Macro/Micro Indicators
• SME – Supply Chain Management
• SME – Data, AI, Security, and Platform
• SME – Internal Controls and Auditing
Contact information email: Paul_Young_CGA@outlook.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-young-055632b/
SlideShare - https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga

3. Agenda
USA vs Canada
(Retail Sales)
Gasoline Prices
Canada Retail Sales
by Segment
Canada Retail Sales
by Province
Canada /
eCommerce
Global eCommerce
Issues facing Retail
Retail Council /
2021 Federal
Budget
Canada Retail Sales
Bankruptcies /
Reorganizations
Home Renovations Amazon
Cannabis Stores /
Canada
Automation Sales Forecasting Supply Chain
Cash Flow
Management
Risk Analytics /
Retail
Planning Analytics
and Cognos
Analytics

4. Retail Sales – Canada vs United States
Source – BMO economics

5. Canada
Source – Stats Canada

6. Canada
Source – Stats Canada

7. Canada
Source – Stats Canada

8. Global
eCommerce
Source -
https://dazeinfo.com/2020/08
/04/global-e-commerce-sales-
to-reach-3-9-trillion-in-2020-
report/

9. Issues facing Retail
Source - https://linchpinseo.com/common-challenges-facing-the-retail-industry/
1. Digital interruption
2. Finding Technological Solutions
3. Maintaining your customer base
4. Evolving customer expectations
5. Modern marketing
6. Inspiring and retaining employees
7. Effective internal communications

10. Automation
 RPA / Retail - https://medium.com/@savvycom/rpa-101-applications-of-
rpa-in-retail-industry-46b90a53bbe6
 Restructuring of business models for retail will include automation -
https://www.technology.org/2020/08/06/covid-19-will-encourage-
automation-in-retail-sector/
 Business process automation / retail -
https://www.impactmybiz.com/blog/business-process-automation-in-
retail/
 Retail Edge Stores - https://www.jabil.com/blog/retail-automation.html
 Rebooting stores through automation -
https://retailtouchpoints.com/resources/rebooting-the-retail-store-
through-in-store-automation
 Augment Reality / eCommerce - https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/now-
could-finally-time-augmented-181954198.html
 Virtual Reality / eCommerce - https://supplychaingamechanger.com/how-
virtual-reality-vr-is-drastically-enhancing-the-e-commerce-shopping-
experience-infographic/

11. Blog –
Containers
Last month, a series of COVID-19 outbreaks in Chinese ports caused the worst
shipping delays in years, the impacts of which we will likely still be feeling by
the time the holiday season arrives. But port closures are only part of the story
behind the recent shipping delays impacting virtually every sector, from
furniture deliveries to food product shortages.
Shipping containers, especially refrigerated ones, have been extremely hard for
manufacturers and distributors to find and fill with goods over the past few
months. A key element of the supply chain, shipping containers transport large
volumes of goods along global shipping routes. Problems first arose in early
2020 when shipping lines canceled some routes amid growing COVID-19 case
numbers worldwide, but shipping container availability worsened as
unpredictable port closures, the Suez Canal blockage, and intensifying labor
shortages left containers stranded. As a result, international freight costs have
also grown dramatically, with limited availability, lengthy delays, and
lackluster service causing issues throughout the global supply chain.
https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/record-breaking-box-demand-stranded-
containers-lead-to-worst-shipping-delays-in-years/?ecms_id=7a28bad3-cea7-44d2-b9f6-
4897b99c1042&ecms_short=ART5655&doc_type=ted_video_article&parent_id=949c24
0b-29da-4827-aa56-
f2d4e5339f53&utm_content=featuredvideo&linktype=image&channel=email&campaign
_type=thomas_industry_update&campaign_name=tiu210816&utm_campaign=tiu21081
6&utm_medium=email&utm_source=thomas_industry_update&tinid=221763045
Here is my work on supply chain -
https://ibm.box.com/s/bqy9mr0ktlgi64sbf49o4rg5d9w0rqkn

12. Sales
Forecasting

13. Supply Chain

14. Improving Cash
Flow
Management

15. Risk Analytics
and Retail

16. Continuous
Intelligence
Planning
Blog – Mitigating risks with the supply chain using more
intelligence supply chain management solutions:
The complexity of supply chains has led both the private and
public sectors to re-think how they managed their supply chain
including the use of infused-AI.
This presentation looks at possible solutions as part of mitigating
risks related to purchasing to pay cycle as part of managing the
supply chain cycle.
https://ibm.box.com/s/63aqf8jo004v2bo5f8cf6eppgglhbvs5

17. ESG Reporting
Blog – Sustainability Reporting – Environmental, Social and
Governance Reporting (ESG)
Here is my update on ESG reporting. Both the private and public
sectors continue to expand reporting in areas like environmental,
social, and governance.
Source -
https://www.ibm.com/products/envizi?utm_content=SRCWW&p
1=Search&p4=43700072769102092&p5=e&gclid=CjwKCAiA9NGf
BhBvEiwAq5vSywPOE60WwM329FuWScZZL3koFUAW4ZBdlA3OY
XM0fBebz7qNw5q2sRoC_BwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Blog - 10 key ESG and sustainability trends, ideas for both
the Private and Public Sectors -
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-young-055632b_10-
key-esg-and-sustainability-trends-ideas-activity-
7042799510351212545-
hwpI?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

18. Planning
Analytics and
Cognos
Analytics
 Small and medium sizes businesses continue to
struggle with management of their data
 Planning Analytics Digital Pack -
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSD29
G_2.0.0/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.tm1_cloud_mg.2.0.0.do
c/c_tm1_cloud_system_digital_pack.html
 Cognos Analytics on Demand -
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/businessa
nalytics/blogs/david-cushing/2018/12/13/1
 Planning Analytics with Cognos on Demand –
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/businessa
nalytics/blogs/bimpe-
adefowora/2020/11/11/padataondemand
 Predictability -
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/businessa
nalytics/blogs/stuart-martin-phillips1/2020/10/02/easy-
forecasting-for-planning-users

19. Cybersecurity
Blog - Improving cybersecurity means understanding how
cyberattacks affect both governments and civilians -
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blog-improving-
cybersecurity-means-understanding-how-paul-
young/?published=t

20. Governance,
Risk, and
Compliance
Blog - IBM OpenPages with Watson can deliver a 218% return on
investment, finds Forrester study
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson/2020/12/ibm-openpages-with-
watson-can-deliver-a-218-return-on-investment-finds-forrester-
study/?campaign=socialselling&share=592db045-fde8-43e9-8ce3-
ff8d18fc175b&channel=linkedin&userID=cfad680f-7c88-4a2e-82e9-
f052d0bc4447&advocacy_source=everyonesocial&es_id=581e0fab6d
This ties nicely into my work on data, AI, security, and Platform -
https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/strengthen-internal-controls-
and-compliance-through-data-and-ai-as-part-of-the-regulatory-and-
corporate-reporting-cyclepptx-257453565

21. Summary
Retail sector continues to face challenges
Blog – Analysis and Commentary – Canada Retail Sales – July 2023
Summary:
Canadian consumers appear to be quickly rolling back their spending as the Bank of Canada’s
higher interest rates start to bite into more household budgets.
Receipts for retailers dropped 0.3 per cent in August, the first decline since March, according to
an advance estimate from Statistics Canada released Friday. That followed a 0.3 per cent
increase a month earlier, which missed the median estimate of 0.4 per cent in a Bloomberg
survey.
Sales rose in seven of the nine subsectors in July, and were led by increases at food and beverage
retailers. Motor vehicle and parts dealers saw the largest decrease that month, and fell for the
first time in four months. Excluding autos, retail sales rose one per cent, double the expectations.
In volume terms, retail sales edged down 0.2 per cent in July.
The report suggests Canadians are tightening their purse strings as more households face
mortgage payment renewals and high gas prices. The Bank of Canada held borrowing costs
steady on Sept. 6, saying recent evidence showed higher rates are working to slow the economy
and consumption.
Strength in household spending earlier this year prompted policymakers to resume raising
interest rates in June and July after a five-month pause. The central bank’s next rate decision is
due on Oct. 25, and most economists in a Bloomberg survey expect the bank to hold again.
Source - https://www.fxstreet.com/news/usd-cad-moves-sideways-near-13470-us-pmis-canada-retail-
sales-eyed-202309220812 or https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canada-retail-sales-drop-0-3-in-sign-of-
consumer-slowdown-1.1975036
Links and sources:
Retail prices - https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/carbon-tax-groceries-food-prices
Grocery - https://macdonaldlaurier
.ca/rising-grocery-prices/
Port strike - https://globalnews.ca/news/9978716/bc-port-auto-sector-impacts/
Generative AI - https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2023/09/canadian-shoppers-embrace-generative-
ai-for-shopping-suggestions-report/
ESG - https://hardlines.ca/gp_home_news/home-depots-esg-report-leads-way-as-retailers-double-
down-on-ethical-concerns/