Statistics Canada says retail sales rose 1.1 per cent to $53.9-billion in September to mark the fifth consecutive monthly increase since the record drop in April due to the pandemic.

Interesting to note that in Newfoundland and Labrador, retail sales were up this past September by 5.5 per cent over September 2019, which was half a year before the pandemic hit.

Total value in September was $795-million compared with $753-million in the September prior to the pandemic.

Retail sales in the province rose slightly in September 2020 from the previous month, August.