Grocery sales spiked 40% in March, hand sanitizer up 792%: Stats Canada

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new report from Stats Canada shows a drastic rise in sales at grocery stores since COVID-19 measures were announced or came into effect.

For the week ending March 21, retail grocery sales across the country rose 40 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. This was around the same time the federal government first advised against non-essential travel and announced the initial measures of economic relief.

Around the time the Emergency Response Act received royal assent on March 25, things started to cool down, although there was another smaller increase around the Easter holiday.

Overall, there has been a 19 per cent year-over-year increase in sales for the three-week period ending April 11.