By Dr. Tony Hernandez, Tansel Erguden and Philip Bermingham

This report is the sixth in our series of updates that identify and interpret change in the major concentrations of retail sales activity across Canada.  Using the SARTRE (Small Area Retail Trade Estimates) database provided by Statistics Canada, this update examines changes in the ranking of major retail areas in Canada for the 2002-2003 period.  In the research, the hot spots of Canadian retailing are identified and evaluated for three major retail categories: (i) total retail sales (excluding automotive); (ii) fashion retailing, and (iii) general merchandise goods.  With the release and interpretation of this information, a more precise view of the dynamics of the Canadian retail economy as of 2003 (the most recent date for which data is available) is made possible.