Statistics Canada released November retail sales for the country, with cannabis sales increasing from the October levels, up 6.6% to C$477.9 million. This sequential increase was up 10.2% on a per-day basis more due to the lower number of days as the prior month. October, originally reported at C$451.7 million, was revised slightly lower to C$448.5 million. It was impacted by a strike in British Columbia in October. The sales in November were up 4.6% from a year ago, down from the level in May at 8.3%, from 7.5% in June and the 6.2% in September. This was also down from the 20.3% August 2023 growth rate and better than the prior lowest annual growth rate since legalization commenced of -0.9% in September 2024 and then -1.6% in October due to the BC strike, and it was down substantially from the December growth of 9.1%. The record level in August was only 1.8% above the year-earlier level. In 2024, total sales increased 4.5% to C$5.39 billion, and they are up 4.2% so far in 2025.
An increase in the number of stores as well as falling flower prices that bring consumers from the illicit market have been boosting sales. In Ontario, the largest province in population, sales were down 5.2% from October and 3% from a year ago. Alberta was down 5.5% from October and up 2% from a year ago. British Columbia, which plunged 55.0% in October sequentially and 54% from a year earlier, rebounded from October as it increased by 250% sequentially and by 9% from a year ago, while Quebec was down 4.1% from October and up 31% from a year ago.
The December sales data will be released on February 20th.
