A new poll suggests that Canadians have gotten used to e-commerce and may be reluctant to pivot back to in-person shopping at retail outlets as the pandemic retreats.
PayPal Canada polled more than 1,500 Canadians and found that, on average, consumers are spending $178 a month shopping online. That’s an increase of $69 compared to pre-pandemic levels, and boosts the monthly e-commerce spend across Canada to $5.5 billion.
Online grocery shopping is the retail segment that’s accelerated most rapidly during the pandemic, according to the poll, which suggests that 49% of consumers have made at least one online grocery purchase compared to 19% in March 2020.
It’s not just groceries, online spending has advanced in almost every retail category, according to the poll, with big increases in home office furnishings, exercise equipment and school supplies.
While small to medium-sized businesses may see a sales bump as COVID-19 business restrictions ease, PayPal’s research suggests that retailers might have to stay on top of the latest tech trends to retain customers.
One in four survey respondents said he or she doesn’t expect to use cash for transactions five years from now. While nearly as many expect retailers will soon offer drone delivery and facial recognition payment technology.
