Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 05

November/December 2020 // Canadian Government Executive / 19 The dashboard Source: Statistics Canada, Retail Commodity Survey, August 2020. Home Projects and Improvement Automotive School Food Canadians continued to place an em- phasis on completing projects around their homes during COVID-19. • renovation materials and supplies +14.6% • lumber and other renovation materials and supplies +17.9% • hardware and tools +29.7% • home appliances +28.1% • housewares +6.9% • home furnishings +7.2% Sales of motor vehicles continued to rise compared with the previous month, climbing to within 0.3% of sales a year prior with a decline in new vehicles and an increase in sales of used vehicles. • new motor vehicle sales -2.8% • used motor vehicles +4.6% Despite the uncertainty surrounding the return to school due to COVID-19, sales reported for August have seen an increase and decrease in certain categories. • computers, peripherals, and networking equipment +4.6% • home office supplies +32.0% • craft and hobby kits, and leisure supplies +16.4% • children’s and infant clothing -7.8% • children’s footwear -14.5% Canadians continued to spend more on food with sales in the categories of food up +4.6% • fresh fruit and vegetables +8.2% • frozen food +14.5% • soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages +5.1 • alcoholic beverages +1.4%