Canadian E-commerce spending on the rise
Canadians are spending more online. A recent Statistics Canada report shows a substantial increase in both the number of households shopping online and the amount of dollars spent. The latest statistics cannot be directly compared to the 2000 data because of changes made to the survey questions. However, it is clear that there has been a definite increase.
Here is how the numbers break down:
| 2000 | 2001 | |
| Households (Millions) | 1.5 | 2.2 |
| Total spending (Billions) | 1.1 | 2 |
StatsCan found that of the approximate 12 million households in Canada, 7.2 million or 60 per cent, regularly access the Internet from home, work, school, public libraries, and other venues.
Approximately one third of households, or 4 million households, used the Internet to support purchase decisions. Of these 4 million households, just over 57 per cent made a commitment to order online. Once the commitment to order online was made, a larger percentage - 80 per cent - paid for items over the Internet.
While the numbers are increasing, not every purchase is made at a Canadian site. StatsCan found that for every $10 spent online, $6.50 went to a Canadian vendor while the remaining $3.50 was spent at a foreign site.
Canadians spent an average of $148 and their most popular purchases included travel arrangements, and tickets for entertainment and sporting events. Consumers were less likely to commit to ordering household items such as bedroom suites or appliances. However, over one-quarter of these consumers used the Internet for browsing and comparison-shopping.
Regionally, British Columbia had the highest average expenditure per household. The province's $1,394 per household average was well above the national average of $880. Quebec had the lowest average expenditure per household. Ontario households spent the most online overall, purchasing $828 million in goods and services over the Internet, which accounted for 42% of the $2 billion total.
The report can be found online at http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020919/d020919b.htm.
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