Without taking inflation into account, the seasonally adjusted value of wholesale trade in Alberta reached its highest level on record in April.

Month-over-month sales increased by 5.3% ($379.9 million) to reach $7.6 billion.

Year-over-year sales in April 2021 were 1.8% ($132.2 million) higher compared to April 2019 when the disruptive effects of the pandemic were not in play.

Compared to April 2020, year-over-year sales were 20.1% higher ($1.3 billion).

Building materials posted the largest month-over-month increase in April at 20.5% ($255.0 million) while farm products pulled back by 4.9% ($6.3 million).

Sales were higher than in April 2020 across all major categories except for machinery, which was down by 3.0% ($66.5 million).

Compared to April 2019, sales were down in four of the seven major categories: food, beverage and tobacco (-0.9%), miscellaneous (-3.1%), personal and household goods (-6.5%) and machinery (-12.0%).

Strong performance in the building materials (+38.7%), farm products (+15%) and motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts (+8.3%) categories kept the total in positive territory compared to two years earlier. 

Answer to the previous trivia question: According to Uber Eats, a Big Mac by itself sells for $5.69 before GST. If we erase four decades of inflation and go back to 1980, the same Big Mac would cost $1.74.

Today’s trivia question: On what day in 1905 did Alberta (and Saskatchewan) become Canadian provinces?