There's yet another sign that the economy is on the upswing, with Canadian retail sales rising again in September.

It is the seventh time sales have increased in the last nine months.

New numbers from Statistics Canada show sales jumped to $34.9 billion, which is a one per cent increase over August.

The automotive industry is one of the factors that fueled the gains. It showed one per cent higher sales in September, due to increased interest in recreational vehicles and auto parts. Sales at new car dealers and gas stations also went up 0.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively.

Increases in the food and beverage industry, furniture, electronics, and general merchandise also contributed, and for the first time since March 2008, sales of sporting goods, music and books went up.

Retail sales have been rising since the beginning of 2009, following a sharp decline at the end of 2008. They still haven't fully recovered to their pre-recession state, with this September's numbers being 3.3 per cent lower than September 2008. But BNN's Michael Kane told CTV News Channel that the numbers are still a good sign as we enter the holiday season.

"We had such a crummy holiday sales period last year, that's when the Canadian economy really hit the skids, it was November, December, January, so we're going to get nice comparative numbers year over year," he said.

He said today's numbers paint "quite a bright picture, and that is also helping to lift the loonie somewhat."

Retail sales rose in eight provinces in September. Quebec, with a 2.2 per cent increase, was the largest contributor with its fourth rise in the last five months.

But the picture wasn't so great in two prairie provinces. Sales fell 0.9 per cent in Saskatchewan in September, partially offsetting the increase in August. In Alberta sales were flat, following two months of declines.

-With files from The Canadian Press