Retail and wholesale trade represent the largest employment sector on Vancouver Island with nearly 52,000 jobs attributed to this type of activity.  It is also a sector that has shown strong growth in the last few years.  The comparative advantage for Vancouver Island may be attributed to the size of the retiree market and the strength of the tourism sector.  The scale and distribution of retail and wholesale trade employment is relative to the proximity to larger centres and other smaller regional markets.

For more information about this sector, please consult the Regional Economic Analysis.  The retail and wholesale trade sector analysis is located on pages 184-190.