OTTAWA — Canadian retail sales rose 0.7 per cent to $66.8 billion in April, helped by higher sales at gasoline stations as well as food and beverage retailers.

The agency said Friday sales were up in seven of the nine subsectors it tracks as sales at gasoline stations and fuel vendors gained 4.5 per cent.

However, Statistics Canada added that its advance estimate for retail sales in May pointed to a decline of 0.6 per cent, though it cautioned the figure would be revised.