E-commerce keeps gaining steam in Canada: eMarketer

Digital buyers in Canada to total 16.2 million this year, but digital buyer gap remains between U.S. and Canada

Toronto, ON (July 31, 2014) – This year, eMarketer estimates, the number of people in Canada buying goods and services via digital channels—including online, mobile and tablet purchases—will grow 6.5% to reach 16.2 million, or more than 54% of the country’s population.

Digital buyers in Canada, 2013-18

Even more people will browse or research products digitally, but not necessarily buy: 19.4 million this year, rising to 21.1 million by 2018. That already translates to nearly two-thirds of Canada’s population.

These penetration figures, however, still put Canada in the US’s wake when it comes to ecommerce. And as the numbers of digital buyers in both countries grow at similar rates, there will remain a 7-percentage-point-plus difference in penetration in the two nations throughout eMarketer’s forecast period.

Digital Buyer Penetration in North America

About eMarketer

By gathering the latest research and news from over 1,000 sources, eMarketer has established itself as the world’s leading provider of internet and e-business statistics. eMarketer’s Web site is at www.emarketer.com.

eMarketer bases all of its forecasts on a multipronged approach that focuses on both worldwide and local trends in the economy, technology and population, along with company-, product-, country- and demographic-specific trends, and trends in specific consumer behaviors. We analyze quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of research firms, government agencies, media outlets and company reports, weighting each piece of information based on methodology and soundness.

In addition, every element of each eMarketer forecast fits within the larger matrix of all of its forecasts, with the same assumptions and general framework used to project figures in a wide variety of areas. Regular re-evaluation of each forecast means those assumptions and framework are constantly updated to reflect new market developments and other trends.

SOURCE: eMarketer