TCF POST Report
OTTAWA, Aug. 21, 2026 — Canada’s clothing and footwear retail market gained momentum in June, with sales at clothing and clothing accessories retailers rising 2.0% from May, while shoe retailers posted a stronger 4.2% monthly increase, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The broader retail category covering clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewellery, luggage and leather goods recorded sales of C$4.17 billion (US$3.0 billion) in June, up 3.1% from May and 5.4% from June 2025.
The figures point to a relatively strong month for fashion-related retail within Canada’s wider consumer market, although performance differed considerably between clothing and footwear.
Clothing leads the apparel recovery
Sales at clothing and clothing accessories retailers reached C$3.23 billion (US$2.34 billion) in June, up 2.0% from May and 4.1% year over year.
In volume terms, which remove the effect of price changes, clothing and clothing accessories sales increased 2.3% month on month and 4.6% year over year.
The stronger volume growth compared with current-dollar sales suggests that the June improvement was not simply a result of higher prices, with consumers purchasing more clothing by volume.
Footwear shows sharper monthly improvement
The footwear segment produced an even stronger monthly performance.
Shoe retailers generated C$415 million (US$300 million) in June, an increase of 4.2% from May. However, sales remained 1.7% below June 2025 in current-dollar terms.
The volume picture was considerably better: shoe retail sales at constant 2017 prices increased 5.1% month on month and 5.8% year over year.
That divergence between current-dollar and volume sales is significant for the footwear market, indicating that the increase in units sold was stronger than the growth in nominal sales.
Fashion outperforms much of core retail
The June performance came as total Canadian retail sales increased 0.6% to C$74.3 billion (US$53.8 billion). Core retail sales, excluding gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers, increased 1.2%.
The combined clothing, footwear, jewellery, luggage and leather-goods category grew 3.1%, substantially faster than overall retail and core retail.
Within the category, jewellery, luggage and leather goods were the strongest performer, with sales rising 9.6% month on month and 21.8% year over year. That growth lifted the overall fashion-related category, although clothing and footwear remained the principal apparel-related segments.
Online retail continues to expand
Canada’s retail market is also becoming increasingly digital. Seasonally adjusted retail e-commerce sales rose 9.9% to C$5.7 billion (US$4.1 billion) in June, accounting for 7.7% of total retail sales, compared with 7.1% in May.
For apparel and footwear retailers, the continued expansion of online retail adds another important channel as consumers shift between physical stores and digital platforms.
Ontario drives retail growth
At the provincial level, Ontario recorded the largest increase in retail sales in dollar terms, with total retail sales rising 1.6% in June. Retail sales in the Toronto census metropolitan area increased a particularly strong 3.9%.
Quebec’s retail sales rose 0.5%, while Alberta recorded the largest provincial decline, down 1.3%.
Canada’s overall retail market therefore entered the summer with positive momentum, but Statistics Canada’s advance estimate suggests total retail sales fell 0.8% in July. The July figure is preliminary and will be revised as additional data become available.
For the apparel and footwear industry, June’s data provide a mixed but generally encouraging picture: clothing delivered solid year-on-year growth, while footwear showed a sharp monthly rebound and stronger volume growth despite a nominal annual decline. The next official retail figures, covering July, are scheduled for release on September 24.
