Canadian Online Retail Forecast, 2014 To 2019

Online retail in Canada is fast picking up steam, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years almost five times higher than the tepid growth of brick and mortar sales across the nation. Canadian consumers will spend C$22.3 billion online by the end of 2014 — Forrester predicts this figure will reach C$39.9 billion and represent 9.5% of total retail transactions in Canada by 2019. This growth will be facilitated by a number of factors including a maturing assortment of US and international brands operating tailored online stores for Canadians, the launch of all-new or revamped online stores from incumbent Canadian retailers, a weaker Canadian dollar tempering cross-border online shopping, and a newfound confidence that Canadian online shopping experiences have finally come of age. This report takes a look at these factors and provides guidance to eBusiness professionals looking to grow online businesses in Canada.