What Motivates Canadians To Shop Online?

In our last blog, we pointed out that far too many Canadian retailers are still slow to accept the shopping trends had by consumers in this great nation of ours. With each passing year, more and more Canadians are shopping online. So, it would stand to reason that more Canadian retailers would be offering their customers the ability to make purchases through their websites. However, our nation’s stores don’t seem to be keeping up with the trend.

As a result, many Canadian consumers choose to shop on American websites. Needless to say, this impacts our nation’s economy. So what else needs to be explained to Canadian retailers who don’t yet see the need to turn their company websites into online stores? Perhaps, ePath has the answer. Their 2013 infographic reveals some very important information about how Canadians shop online.

67% of Canadians shop online to locate lower prices and better deals. According to the infographic, about two-thirds of Canadians use the internet to browse items and compare prices between retailers. And why not? Hopping from website to website is a lot quicker and easier than visiting several different store locations. ePath also reveals that nearly half (49%) of Canadians simply find online shopping more convenient.

The act of finding a good price should not be underestimated. ePath reveals that navigating through the internet and locating low prices are what Canadian online shoppers are all about. And they’re quite proud of being thrifty. “Frugal habits are now badges of honour consumers wear with pride,” says the infographic, “42% search online to make sure they are getting the best price.”

What features attract Canadians to an online store? According to the ePath infographic, Canadian shoppers enjoy nothing more than free shipping. 65% say that free shipping is what attracts them most to particular online stores. 36% of Canadians say that detailed product descriptions that include photos and videos get their attention. Meanwhile, 35% like websites that present reliable and trustworthy images of the retailers.

Do Canadian shoppers really want to buy from Canadian retailers? ePath’s infographic definitely suggests “yes”. For Canadian business owners who may feel that Canadians aren’t particular about where their items bought online come from, they may want to consider the fact that 45% of consumers made an effort to buy Canadian products in 2012. The infographic reveals that 54% of Canadian consumers prefer to buy from a .ca website, while 10% prefer a .com.

As well, 49% of Canadian businesses prefer to buy from a .ca website while 17% prefer a .com. There is, says ePath, definitely a “.ca advantage”. If you’re a Canadian business owner, it would certainly seem like it’s time for you to take advantage of these statistics. Not only do your customers prefer to buy from you over your American counterparts, but they’d prefer to show their support of your brand online.

For more information about Canadian POS Corporation’s e-commerce solution, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.