Post-COVID grocery store sales high but below the mid-March peak, StatCan says
Posted May 11, 2020 7:46 am.
Last Updated May 11, 2020 8:40 am.
OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says grocery store sales continued to be high in the week ending April 11, up 19 per cent year-over-year, but they were below the spike seen in mid-March when initial COVID-19 emergency measures were announced.
The agency says grocery store sales had been up 40 per cent in the week that ended March 21, compared with the same week last year.
Grocery stores had record sales gains in mid-March as #COVID restrictions spread. Statistics Canada says sales during the week ending March 21st rose 40% y/y and "receipts continued to rise on an historical basis over the next three weeks," up 19% in the week through April 11th. pic.twitter.com/DPOyCvWdfs
— Richard Dettman (@rwdettman) May 11, 2020
The data comes from a special Statistics Canada report on how shopping patterns have changed since Canada stepped up its COVID-19 public health campaigns.
Among other things, the report says bathroom tissue sales moderated, but were still 81 per cent higher in the week of April 11 than they were last year.
Sales of hand sanitizer were up 345 per cent during the week of April 11, sales of masks and gloves were up 114 per cent and sales of soap were up 68 per cent, compared with a year earlier.
But Statistics Canada says sales of cold remedies were down 11 per cent year-over-year and sales of infant formula were 15 per cent lower than the same week of 2019.