Canadian Retail Cannabis Sales Increased 38% in September to $355 Million

Statistics Canada released September retail sales for the country this morning, with cannabis sales increasing from August by 0.2% to C$354.7 million. The record sales were up 38.2% from a year ago, the lowest annual growth to date and down from 42.6% in August.

Hifyre IQ had forecast sales of C$355 million based upon its data. The data analytics provider has been estimating October sales to be 1% higher, which would be 1.2% above the actual September level and up 34% from a year ago.

COVID lockdowns have been weighing on retail sales, while 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 up 1.9% from August and 82% from a year ago, reflecting the increase in the number of stores. Alberta, which is the second-largest province, was up slightly from August and up 13% from a year ago. Quebec was down slightly, while British Columbia also slipped slightly from August as it advanced 35% from a year ago.

Hifyre IQ estimated that product categories have been stable, with a slight decrease in flower towards pre-rolls over time. Derivative products continue to account for a relatively small amount of the market. Flower and pre-rolls represent, according to Hifyre IQ data, 73% of the market in September, similar to August, with a small gain in non-flower products projected for October.

The October sales data will be released on December 21st.

Exclusive article by Alan Brochstein, CFA
Alan Brochstein, CFA
Based in Houston, Alan leverages his experience as founder of online community 420 Investor, the first and still largest due diligence platform focused on the publicly-traded stocks in the cannabis industry. With his extensive network in the cannabis community, Alan continues to find new ways to connect the industry and facilitate its sustainable growth. At New Cannabis Ventures, he is responsible for content development and strategic alliances. Before shifting his focus to the cannabis industry in early 2013, Alan, who began his career on Wall Street in 1986, worked as an independent research analyst following over two decades in research and portfolio management. A prolific writer, with over 650 articles published since 2007 at Seeking Alpha, where he has 70,000 followers, Alan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and a frequent source to the media, including the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, and Bloomberg TV. Contact Alan: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

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