December 13, 2024
E-commerce at Variable Speeds
  • Insight and Strategy
  • Data management and audiences
Commerce

The Canadian Media Usage Study (CMUST), which Omnicom Media Group has been shaping and presenting for 20 years in collaboration with IAB, is full of little gems. One of these focuses on the evolution of online retail sales in Canada.

After recovering from the many excesses of the Holiday season, I invite you to attend the presentation in Montreal for more details. In the meantime, here are a few highlights from our 2024 study.

There has been much discussion about how the adoption of e-commerce has grown since the start of the pandemic. After a period of massive e-commerce growth at the height of the pandemic, the curve for online sales has returned to a healthy growth rate in 2024. While we are still ahead of earlier projections, it’s not as significant as one might think. We’re roughly a year ahead in e-commerce adoption compared to the trajectory we would have followed before the pandemic. This demonstrates that the draw of physical stores remains strong.

However, there is a significant disparity in the relative importance of online sales depending on the category. While one third of dollars spent in "mass retail" occurs online, e-commerce accounts for only 3% of grocery sales, according to Statistics Canada. The potential is enormous, yet few players stand out despite the range of delivery services available. Based on my personal observations, Sobeys/IGA appears to be well ahead of its competitors in online commerce. Hardly a day goes by without seeing one of their Voilà delivery trucks, their delivery service. The brand is also well supported in marketing, whereas Metro and Loblaws has been more discreet in online commerce. That said, my perspective may be influenced by the area where I live and travel.

For more details on the state of online commerce in Canada and the shopping habits of Canadians and Quebecers, don’t miss our presentation organized by IAB or contact me for a personalized presentation. My colleague Juliane Baraldi and I will be on tour at the beginning of 2025!

Redefining

creativity

We are steadfast in our belief that marketing and media creativity needs to be constantly redefined. Because we are emboldened by the ever-more meaningful, memorable and impactful connections this creates between a brand and its audiences. And most importantly, because it drives business success.