Top 10 Essential Facts About Canadian E-Commerce

The e-commerce market in Canada is thriving, with 30 million online shoppers and 11.9% of the total retail being online. What’s more, Canadians love to shop abroad—55% of online shoppers in this country buy cross-border. This means that Canada is the perfect market for your international expansion. Yet, do you know what it takes to win the hearts of the local consumers and achieve success? If not, read this article in which we’ll discuss the 10 essential facts about the market and your potential customers!

Canadian E-Commerce Facts You Need to Know

So, what do you need to know regarding parcel delivery to Canada and the local market in general? Here are the most critical facts:

Canadians Want Fast & Reliable Delivery

Canadians have several driving factors that make them more willing to purchase your products, but the most important one is, undoubtedly, delivery speed, pointed out by 43% of Canadian online shoppers. Reliable delivery is also crucial, with 31% of consumers saying that it’s a factor that may make them more eager to make a purchase.

Canadians Shop Big

Secondly, the Canadian e-commerce market is characterised by high-value cross-border purchases. 47% of all orders are worth more than 70 Canadian dollars, with only 6% below 10 Canadian dollars.

Canadians Shop Light

Despite the high values, most cross-border orders to Canada are lightweight. About 80% of packages weigh below 2 kg, with 40% weighing less than 0.5 kg. This makes the Canadian e-commerce market even more attractive, since this fact actively reduces shipping costs for business owners like you.

Canadians Choose Frequently Buy from the UK, Though the US and China Are More Popular

While Canadians favour the US, with China coming in second, the UK remains the third most popular destination for e-commerce shopping. However, we need to underline the large gap between the first two and third places: 65% and 50% of online shoppers choose the US and China, respectively, while only 14% shop from the UK.

Canadians Prefer Their Packages to Be Delivered at Home

Canadians continuously prefer to receive their parcels at home, with:

• 79% of consumers choosing at the door delivery,

• 65% of consumers opting for deliveries into their mailboxes,

• 24% of consumers select deliveries to a safe place at their homes.

You need to provide excellent coverage to manage customer expectations regarding delivery destinations.

Canadians Love Postal Services

Another fact that characterizes the Canadian e-commerce market is the love of postal services. They are the only large alternative to at-home deliveries, with 42% of consumers using post offices and 17% using postal service points to pick up their parcels.

Canadians Expect Transparency

To add to the above, Canadians have clear-cut expectations about the delivery services. The most important fact here is that 69% of Canadian online shoppers underline that transparent pre-purchase information about the delivery costs is the most important factor for them.

Canadians Want Low-Cost Shipping

When it comes to shipping details, Canadian shoppers also stress the role of two price-related factors. Both free delivery over a certain value and low customs duties are among the top deciding factors for Canadians, and each of them has been stressed by 56% of online shoppers.

Canadians Need Mobile-Friendly Stores

46% of international e-commerce purchases in Canada are made with smartphones, while 8% are made with tablets. This leaves only 26% for laptops and 20% for desktop computers. In the end, you have to adopt the mobile-first approach in your store design, but at the same time, you mustn’t forget PC users. Also, bear in mind that this trend rises every year, so you should expect a growth in the number of mobile purchases in the future.

Canadians Strive for Simple Returns Policy

Finally, a simple and reliable return process is among Canadian online shoppers' priorities. Therefore, ensure you write a seamless returnSeamless Returns Policy: Boost Customer Satisfaction and E-commerce Successs policy and follow it up with procedures to make pick-ups quick and easy.

The Takeaway

The Canadian e-commerce market is an excellent destination for your business, though you have to adapt to its rules. With the popularity of cross-border shopping and lightweight packages, it’s a country that will let you make a steady profit margin. Yet, to extract the value, you’ll have to provide your customers with transparent shipping costs and excellent, reliable delivery that can reach them at home all over the country. To do so, you need a dependable logistics partner—an experienced, reputable company like Landmark Global. Contact us now and learn how we can help you get your business rolling in Canada.

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