Canada Ecommerce 2019

Executive Summary

While Canada lags similar economies in the rate of adoption of ecommerce, shopping online has become a key aspect of consumer life. Domestic retailers were slow to invest in the necessary ecommerce infrastructure early on, but Amazon has forced their hands to invest or get disrupted. This year, ecommerce is thriving to the tune of greater than 20% growth, and double-digit annual gains are expected for years to come.

How much will consumers in Canada spend on ecommerce in 2019?

Retail ecommerce will reach CA$64.56 billion ($49.80 billion) this year. That’s up 21.1% from last year and will represent 10.0% of all retail sales.

How much of that is mobile spending?

Mobile will make up almost one-third of ecommerce sales, or 31.5%, with retail mobile sales anticipated to grow 27.3% this year. As ecommerce fuels the overall retail sector, mobile commerce is driving strong gains in ecommerce.

What is the impact of Amazon?

Amazon is the top online shopping destination for consumers in Canada. To compete, domestic retailers are being forced to invest in creating better digital buying experiences across the board.

How are direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands faring in Canada?

Endy, MissFresh and Indochino are some D2C brands that have made their name in Canada and are demonstrating a lucrative path to venture capital investment. The D2C model poses another threat to an already strained retail sector.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report covers our latest forecasts for retail ecommerce, mobile commerce and digital buyers in Canada. It also looks behind the numbers at some of the unique aspects of the country’s ecommerce market.

KEY STAT: One in 10 dollars spent in Canada retail will flow through digital channels in 2019.

What’s Inside:

Estimates are included for the following areas:

• Total retail sales
• Ecommerce sales
• Mobile commerce sales
• Digital buyers and shoppers