Every time a retail business from another country launches in Canada, either physically or online, I wonder how long it will last. Their success hinges on not only knowing the Canadian market, but also how we differ from international markets the company is already in. It’s an honest mistake. Most of us assume Canadian shopping behaviour is very similar to American behaviour, for example, but that’s not always the case.
Intuit MailChimp took a deep dive into regional differences in shopper behaviour to accompany their New E-Commerce Calendar, including Canada. It’s a rare glimpse into how the Canadian market compares to the rest of the world, specifically in regards to shopper behaviour.
How is Canadian Shopping Behaviour Different from Other Countries?
When it comes to celebrating, Canadians take it more seriously than most. We celebrate everything from seasonal events to heritage months, religious celebrations, and cultural highlights, better known as holidays and observances. Our enthusiasm extends to buying related products, but we insist on getting the best deal. We get really pumped about sales events too.
Some Terminology:
‘Sales Moments’ are defined by Intuit MailChimp as those created and dominated by brands & retailers. They include more general retail events like Boxing Day, and branded promotions like Amazon Canada Prime Day.
‘Together Moments’ are national and public holidays (excluding festive holidays), such as Family Day here in Canada.
‘Celebratory Moments’ include religious celebrations like Diwali, and cultural traditions such as Groundhog Day, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day.
6 Ways Canadian Shoppers are Different from Other Countries
1. 80% of Canadian shoppers use sales moments to purchase items they have been planning to buy, the highest (tied with the US) across all nine regions surveyed, compared to 76% globally.
2. 69% of Canadian shoppers look forward to big sales moments, compared to 61% globally.
3. 55% of Canadian shoppers made a purchase during Cyber Monday in the last two years, the highest across all nine regions surveyed, compared to just 37% globally.
4. 44% of Canadian shoppers made a purchase associated with national and public holidays during ‘together moments’ in the last two years, the highest of all nine regions, compared to 34% globally.
5. 43% of Canadian shoppers say loyalty reward perks are important when making purchases, the highest (tied with the UK) across all nine regions, compared to 33% globally.
6. 21% of Canadian shoppers made purchases during Celebratory Moments (i.e. cultural or religious occasions) in the last two years, the highest across all nine regions surveyed, compared to 13% globally.
What does that mean?
It means Canadians are more likely to make purchases around many holidays, occasions and observances. It also means we’re more likely to share related content on social media, both to celebrate publicly and to encourage our friends and family to join us. Combine that with the recent ‘buy Canadian’ movement and you could have a significant competitive advantage. It’s an awesome opportunity to engage Canadians, while building brand loyalty, encouraging advocacy, and seriously reducing customer acquisition costs (CAC).
Naturally, that’s only possible if your marketing team knows the Canadian market (and its influencers) inside and out, which is why smart brands hire Canadians to run their show in this country.
More Canadian Consumer Quirks
Part of getting to know Canadians is finding out what is being purchased in Canada, and the most important factors in making the decision to buy.
What have Canadian consumers been buying recently? In the past two years, Canadians spent the most money on:
- Food & Beverage 73%
- Electronics 46%
- Fashion & Accessories 39%
- Beauty & Health Products 32%
- Home Goods & Furniture 32%
- Books, Toys & Games 21%
- Pet Supplies 19%
- Automotive 18%
- Sporting Goods & Outdoor Gear 13%
When Canadian consumers want to buy something, they factor in:
- Price 76%
- Quality 70%
- Product meets functional needs 46%
- Free & fast shipping 38%
- Brand reputation for quality 32%
The New Ecommerce Calendar: A Global Guide to Year-Round Shopper Engagement, is much more than just another content calendar. It’s packed with truly unique and actionable insights that make it well worth the download. Enhance it with our calendars of monthly, weekly, and daily holidays and observances in the Online Business Canada Facebook group.
Market Nuances
As international companies have (hopefully) learned, geographic markets can be similar but still be unique in some very important ways.
“When planning your approach to The New E-Commerce Calendar, it’s crucial to consider market nuances and how they shape what resonates in different markets,” states the Intuit MailChimp guide. “Together or Sales Moments that drive massive engagement in one part of the world may not be as successful elsewhere…
Similarly, our data shows that Cyber Monday’s influence remains largely concentrated in the US and Canadian markets, while International Women’s Day carries significantly more cultural weight in Italy than in other regions. When brands fail to account for market nuances such as these, they risk alienating their audiences and appearing out of touch with local customs and sentiments. This highlights the importance of a localized approach. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all retail strategy, brands should pay close attention to local sentiment and shopping behaviors.”
Clearly, the Canadian market is very big on celebrating and that can give your Canadian business a reason to celebrate too.
Related Reading
Brand Management: Top 5 Strategies to Build Customer Loyalty
10 Hot Online Product Niches for Canadian Sellers in 2025
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
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