In-store and last-minute holiday shopping in Canada making a comeback, Accenture survey finds

The survey also found that almost seven in 10 Canadian consumers (69 per cent) intend to make some form of charitable contribution over the holidays.

“The fact that so many Canadians plan to give during the holidays represents an opportunity for brands to partner with charities that their customers hold close to their hearts. If retailers and brands are encouraging their customers to support their affiliated charities, they also need to make it an easy experience,” said Sahota. “At the same time, many families are still feeling the economic impact of COVID-19, which will understandably have an impact on the amount they are able to donate while others may have already donated throughout the year.”

Respondents cited attentive staff as one of the top reasons they could be tempted to shop in-store at one retailer over another, suggesting that customer experience remains a vital aspect of brick-and-mortar business.

Customers also crave innovation from traditional retail. For instance, one in three (32 per cent) Canadians said that they would use QR codes attached to in-store items that provide additional information, such as available sizes, and allow them to easily purchase online for home delivery.

"Canadian consumers enjoy being pampered by staff at the store, but they want options,” said Suzana Colic, a retail consulting leader at Accenture in Canada. “They understand the advantages and efficiencies that technology brings to the shopping experience, and they want to be able to choose between the two.”

Sustainability and responsibility continue to be a clear focus for Canadian shoppers, both in-store and online. Four in 10 (40 per cent) said they will opt for green or environmentally friendly packaging and deliveries, 44 per cent said they plan to seek out products that come in reusable or refillable packaging, and 58 per cent said they intend to buy more locally sourced products and from local retailers in the next six to 12 months.

Another emerging trend is Canadians choosing to support diverse retailers, with 32 per cent reporting that they will be shopping at BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour)-owned stores.

“Half of Gen Zs are likely to support BIPOC businesses, along with 45 per cent of younger millennials and 40 per cent of older millennials. This suggests the number of Canadian shoppers looking to purposefully support diversity in retailers is likely to grow with time – a trend retailers need to continuously watch," said Colic.

Other key findings from the survey:

• Manufacturing matters: The events of the past year have caused a third (32 per cent) of consumers to worry about not getting what they want and need in time for the holidays. As a result, the same percentage (32 per cent) plan to buy items made in Canada in an attempt to avoid import delays and supply-chain issues.
• Holiday travel is back: 58 per cent say said they plan to travel during the holiday season, be it a local trip (24 per cent), a domestic vacation (19 per cent) or traveling abroad (14 per cent).

The Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey offers insights into consumer buying patterns during the holiday time period, providing an indication of retail performance expectations both in-store and online at a key time for the sector. For this year’s study, Accenture conducted on online survey of a representative sample of 1,514 Canadian consumers, each of whom had purchased an item for personal use either online or in a store within the previous six months. Respondents were split between gender and across age groups, with 8 per cent being Generation Zers (aged 18-24), 14 per cent younger millennials (25-31), 15 per cent older millennials (32-39), 23 per cent Generation Xers (40-55), 24 per cent baby boomers (56-69) and 17 per cent aged 70+.

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Accenture’s Retail industry practice helps retailers and their ecosystem partner companies adapt to change, remain resilient and stay true to their purpose in a responsible way. To learn more, visit https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/industries/retail-index.

Accenture’s Consumer Goods & Services industry practice helps businesses innovate and grow — from enabling front-office transformation to building intelligent enterprises underpinned by technology and analytics — to help them achieve consumer relevance. To learn more, visit https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/industries/consumer-goods-and-services-index.

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