Canada B2C E-Commerce and Payment Market 2020 & COVID-19's Impact

Changes in digital shopping in Canada amid COVID-19

Online shopping in Canada surges as in-store shopping falters due to coronavirus
 
Shoppers in Canada avoided in-store purchases due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the months of March and April, causing a collapse of total retail sales figures. At the same time, online sales in April surged to twice the level of April 2019, resulting in a greatly increased share of total retail, around a tenth, being initiated online, much of it through a mobile device.
 
Home comfort items top product categories purchased in Canada during the crisis

Worldwide, food and other basic survival goods have been the top category purchased in most countries as they experienced stay-at-home orders from health authorities. In Canada on the other hand, the leading products purchased during the recent health crisis have been for home comfort and improvements, such as furniture, appliances, and do-it-yourself building supplies. Even so, orders for food and restaurant deliveries doubled during the peak months of the pandemic.
 
Canadian consumers continue to turn to USA-based merchants

Online sales of goods in Canada through online merchants based in the USA, Amazon and Walmart, saw a pronounced increase in orders during April and March as Canadian consumers were confined to their homes. Leading domestic e-marketer Canada Tire doubled its number of website visits during the peak pandemic period, and the company set up curbside pickup at its physical stores to respond to the surge.