Canada Catching The U.S. In Online Shopping Success

You don’t need for it to be the holiday season in order to get Canadians excited about shopping online. Last June, Jeanette Anati pointed this out on ApexPR.com, when she wrote that “studies show that Canadian online sales are set to grow exponentially.” According to Anati, Canadians “sold over $136 billion worth of goods and services over the internet” in 2013. That marked a 14 billion dollar jump from 2012!

It’s probably a pretty safe bet to say that that number has continued to rise with each passing year. It’s not like the internet is getting any less popular. People go online each and every day to communicate through social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. What’s stopping them from using the internet to do their shopping? Nothing, that’s what! Canadian shoppers love shopping online. It’s that simple.

Last year, Canada caught up to the United States in the world of e-commerce. “We’ve lagged behind the US for years, when it comes to internet buying and digital innovation,” writes Anati, “…no longer. Canadian retailers are investing more in online commerce attracting all different types of customers.” But what type of customer seems to enjoy online shopping the most? According to Anati, “stats show that men and Millennials are driving online sales in Canada.”

Are they part of your target audience? She writes that “these groups tend to look for deals and discounts. Moms are another category of buyers that tend to look for product reviews and ratings.” With that said, it’s important to note that online shopping picks up quite heavily during the holiday season. For obvious reasons, it’s a lot more convenient to shop from the comfort of your own home during the Christmas rush.

But you certainly don’t have to wait for the end of the year to get in on the online shopping craze. As a business owner, you stand to make a lot of money by offering your customers the option of paying for purchases directly on your website. As mentioned before, the use of social media is all the rage these days. There’s no reason why your Facebook and Twitter accounts can’t help you to drive your online sales.

“Canadian corporate investment in innovative social media platforms is helping drive sales,” Anati reports, “Engaging with customers via Facebook and Instagram is an important part of their business. Creative campaigns and daily discounts like those offered by Gap Canada also help drive sales. This number will continue to grow as more Canadian companies jump online and sell, sell, sell!”

While she goes on to note that Canada’s largest companies have benefitted the most from their commitment to providing e-commerce solutions to their customers, small business owners are catching on. “Smaller Canadian businesses are ramping up their online presence and some like Preloved have even closed their storefronts to focus on this growing trend,” writes Anati. Isn’t it time you get in on the action?

At Canadian POS Corporation, we offer an e-commerce solution that enables you to easily and securely accept and process all credit cards – Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover – directly from your website. You’ll be able to secure real-time transaction processing and make use of advanced risk management tools to protect your online business from fraud. For more information on our e-commerce solution, please call us at 1-877-748-2884 today!