Spending on everyday items, from cars to clothes to cannabis, rose faster over the past year in Nunavut than anywhere else in Canada, on a percentage basis.
Preliminary data from Statistics Canada shows retail spending was up 12.1 per cent in Nunavut as of June, compared to the same month last year, while the Canadian average was an increase of 6.6 per cent.
Nunavummiut spent $61 million on retail goods in that month, compared to $54 million in June 2024.
That's still by far the lowest among the provinces and territories, with residents of Yukon and the Northwest Territories spending $96 million and $85 million on goods that month, respectively.
June also saw Nunavut make the biggest month-over-month decline in spending compared to other jurisdictions, realizing a 5.6 per cent drop from May.
U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods were cited as a reason for slow growth in monthly sales, Statistics Canada stated.
"The most common (tariff) impacts in June were price increases, change in demand for product and delays in the supply chain," the agency's report reads.
Fewer retail businesses said they were affected by U.S.-Canada trade tensions in June than they were in May. Year-over-year, every province and territory, except for Yukon, reported higher retail spending.
