Easy Cash4ads»
FedEx shares tank after company flags headwinds, withdraws full-year guidance
Canadians are shopping less frequently in-store than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, according to a new Yahoo/Maru Public Opinion poll, although most still prefer brick-and-mortar to online shopping.
The survey of more than 3,000 Canadians found that 67 per cent say they are shopping less in-store than they were before March 2020, when the pandemic struck. Of that group of Canadians, the least likely to shop in-store post-pandemic are older consumers, with 81 per cent of those over the age of 55 saying they are shopping less in-person than before the pandemic, compared to 68 per cent of people between the ages of 35 and 54, and 52 per cent of those between the ages of 18 and 34.
While shopping habits may have changed through the pandemic, most Canadians still prefer to do their shopping in-person, the poll found. Two-thirds of those surveyed (65 per cent) say they prefer shopping in a store than online. That echoes the results of an Adyen survey released in August which found that 67 per cent of Canadian consumers prefer to shop in-store, and 64 per cent saying physical stores are an important touchpoint for the overall shopping experience.
Maru executive vice-president John Wright says the polling data suggests that shoppers are still in a transition period to the new, post-pandemic reality.
“What is noticeable is that younger, lower-income Canadians are out and about but those who are middle-aged, and especially those who are older, are not making the return to the aisles and shelves in retail shopping that was there previously,” Wright said.
“It’s likely that the concern about catching COVID in contained places is still hanging over the heads of older shoppers… But it’s equally as likely that the ramping up of online capacity and interaction has created a new high-touch consumer that is staying the course on how they want to shop.”
The pandemic fuelled an e-commerce boom, as lockdowns, restrictions and COVID-19 kept consumers from shopping in-store and forced many retailers to pivot online. While the post-pandemic recovery has brought about the return of in-store shopping, many businesses say e-commerce is more important than ever.
According to the Canadian Federation Of Independent Business (CFIB)’s latest poll of its members, two in five business owners say online sales are very important to their business. For businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors, that figure jumps to 50 per cent, CFIB’s director of research Marvin Cruz said in an interview.
“The need for e-commerce is still there,” Cruz said. “We’re still seeing that about 54 per cent of businesses are making less-than-normal revenues, which goes to show that yes, the pandemic is receding but there are still many businesses feeling the effects of it.”
However, some retailers are seeing a return to pre-pandemic shopping levels.
While Canadians say they are shopping less frequently in-store, Retail Council of Canada spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen says many retailers aren’t seeing that reflected in store traffic. Wasylyshen says pent-up demand that followed the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in regions across the country led a flood of in-store shopping in 2021, and that activity has been sustained through 2022.
“Consumers did rush back to stores, there was a lot of pent-up demand,” she said.
“Some retailers, particularly those in downtown locations, are still not back to pre-pandemic levels simply because of the changes in terms of where people are working… so we’re still not at a steady state, but there’s definitely reason to be optimistic that people will continue to shop in stores.”
The Yahoo/Maru Public Opinion survey found that older Canadians are more likely to prefer in-store shopping to online (77 per cent), followed by middle-aged shoppers (64 per cent) and the youngest cohort (51 per cent). The 31 per cent who say they prefer to shop mostly online are largely younger Canadians (45 per cent) between the ages of 18 and 35.
The survey of 3,025 Canadian adults was conducted between Sept. 9 and Sept. 11 and has an estimated margin of error of +/- 1.8 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj.
Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Blake Lively surprised photographers when she showed up to an event on Thursday pregnant.
Job candidates are hiring proxies to sit in job interviews for them — and some are paying up to $150 an hour for "professional" fake interviewees.
The management of a Hindu temple in Etobicoke is asking for peace as Toronto police investigate reports of "anti-India" vandalism there. Vandals spray-painted graffiti on the gates of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, police confirmed to CBC News. Several videos surfaced on social media showing phrases like "Hindustan Murdabad," which essentially means "Death to India" in Urdu, and "Khalistan" sprayed on the temple's gates. Khalistan is the name given to the concept of a Sikh-dominated homeland sep
Lululemon's cult-favourite Everywhere Belt Bag is finally back in stock, but hurry!
TFSA and RRSP investors can buy top high-yield TSX stocks at cheap prices right now for portfolios focused on passive income and total returns. The post 2 Oversold Canadian Dividend Stocks Yielding 6% to Buy Now for a TFSA or RRSP appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
This week, iOS 16 became available for iPhone owners to download — giving them the ability to edit and unsend iMessages. Here's how it works.
Even in volatile market conditions, there's always attractive stocks to buy on the TSX. Here are my three top picks that are relatively sheltered from rising inflation and interest rates. The post Got $10,000? 3 Simple TSX Stocks to Buy Right Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
Financial well-being index drops to lowest reading since it started
The prime minister and opposition leaders paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in the House of Commons today, celebrating her dedication to service and recognizing the sense of loss many Canadians feel after her death. "Last week, Canada lost the only sovereign that most of us have ever known," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House. "It's important to take these moments, here in Parliament and across the country, to recognize the service and the leadership that she offered." "When someone l
The 49-year-old actress posed up a storm with co-star Brian Cox for the "Prisoner's Daughter" premiere.
The duke will reportedly join brother William and cousins Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall in mounting a vigil on Saturday.
A recent ruling by Canada's transport regulator in favour of two Air Canada passengers whose flight was delayed is the latest development in the ongoing battle over whether airlines must compensate passengers for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages. In a decision published on Aug. 25, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ordered Air Canada to compensate passenger Lisa Crawford and her son $1,000 each following a flight cancellation that delayed their August 2021 trip from their home
Racism towards Halle Bailey, the lead in Disney's Little Mermaid, has led to parents posting TikToks of their kids reacting to the movie's trailer.
The Australian golfers were given more than just money to leave the PGA for LIV.
'Quite frankly, I am tired of these armchair quarterbacks'
A stagflation next year is possible, World Bank chief economist Indermit Gill has warned, as the world looks ahead to a rate hiking spree starting next week that would consequently slow down demand. Gold prices fell for a fourth straight session to their lowest since April 2020, as expectations of a hefty interest rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve next week boosted the dollar and Treasury yields. The Fed is likely to deliver its third straight 75 basis point interest rate hike after recent data failed to alter the expected course of its aggressive policy tightening.
(Bloomberg) — Equities extended declines on Friday, with an index of global stocks on track for the worst week since June, while a gauge of the dollar continued its ascent, reflecting bets for outsize Federal Reserve interest rate hikes that will crimp economic growth.Most Read from BloombergAdobe Near Deal for Online Design Startup Figma, Sources SayGermany Tightens Control Over Industry With Russian Oil GrabPutin Acknowledges Xi’s ‘Concerns’ on Ukraine, Showing TensionRay Dalio Does the Math:
(Bloomberg) — Federal Reserve officials are unlikely to raise interest rates by a super-sized 100 basis points when they meet next week, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief US economist Michael Feroli.Most Read from BloombergTerra Co-Founder Do Kwon Faces Arrest Warrant in South KoreaNY Judge Who Doesn’t Tolerate ‘Nonsense’ May Be Named Special Master in Trump CaseStocks Rise as Dip Buyers Win Tug of War Over Fed: Markets WrapUS Inflation Tops Forecasts, Cementing Odds of Big Fed HikeXi Unl
"Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power" premiered on September 1 and adapts J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel books to "The Lord of the Rings."
The Canadian amputee and disability advocate posted a video of herself soaking up the sun while on holiday in Greece.