Quebeckers and e-commerce: the CEFRIO report

Published Date: April 6th, 2020

Author: Michelle Sullivan

According to a study released by Quebec’s CEFRIO think tank in March 2020, adult Quebeckers spent an estimated 12.45 billion dollars on online purchases in 2019, averaging $319 per purchase. This represents an increase of 19% over 2018. In the wake of social distancing restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, figures for 2020 promise to be record-breaking. Are you ready?

Never have we so keenly felt the need for online shopping platforms as we have since Premier Legault announced the closure of all non-essential businesses effective midnight on March 24th. Yet, statistics show that Quebec-based e-commerce sites account for only 27% of the population’s online purchases.

Quebec’s highly respected Centre facilitating research and innovation in organizations (CEFRIO)  has been analyzing Internet, social media and mobile device trends since 1999, aiming to track and understand digital technology and its social implications over time. On the heels of the release of its NETendances report in March, the CEFRIO has noted a distinct jump in online shopping following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of the federal and provincial governments’ social distancing measures. In light of the adoption of stay-at-home policies, 28% of Quebeckers surveyed indicated a change in their online shopping habits, while 60% of Quebeckers surveyed confirmed their intention to increase their online purchasing should the crisis continue. This figure jumps to 74% among Quebeckers between the ages of 18 and 34. Of those surveyed, 79% stated their preference for local stores and businesses.

Statistics from the March 2020 NETendances report include:

  • 71% of Quebeckers conduct research online before purchasing. This represents a 5% increase over 2017
  • 60% of Quebeckers use mobile phones in store to comparison shop, get advice from friends and family or check for availability elsewhere
  • 38% of Quebeckers purchased personal apparel, such as shoes, clothing, jewellery and accessories online
  • 30% of Quebeckers purchased tickets online
  • 29% of Quebeckers purchased music, films and video games online
  • 35% of Quebeckers purchase from Amazon on a monthly basis, and 94% of these purchase between one and five items from the e-commerce giant monthly
  • When it comes to delivery, fast is less important than free (29% vs 80%)

CEFRIO publishes a yearly series of reports on topics including e-commerce, online banking and mobile and social media use. These are available for download at cefrio.qc.ca.

UPDATE September 2020: NetTendances studies are now published by l’Académie de la transformation numérique.

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