Canadian Industrial Profile: Wholesale Trade—Autumn 2018

Business Investment—Investment in non-residential structures and machinery and equipment continues to recover from the steep losses of 2015–16. This will benefit the industry, as machinery, equipment, and supplies account for a large share of wholesale transactions.

Interest Rates—As many distributors rely on borrowing to finance their inventories, anticipated interest hikes will lead to higher industry costs moving forward.

Transport Costs—Driven by increasing oil prices, transportation prices have been trending upward, deterring firms from marketing their products to a wider area.