Canada

Air care retail value and volume sales decreased in 2023, losing momentum after recording positive growth during the outbreak of COVID-19. Consumers spent more time at home during the pandemic, and used air care products to create a more pleasant…

In 2023, Canada experienced a surge in the demand for air purifiers driven by widespread wildfires across provinces like Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The federal government issued multiple alerts concerning the health hazards of air pollution…

After and unprecedented resurgence in travel in the second half of 2022 and throughout 2023, following the deep collapse of the industry during the pandemic, airlines aim to provide the very best customer service experience in the safest environment…

Alcoholic drinks in Canada in 2023 presented a mixed picture. While overall volume growth remained modest, strong performances by Ready-to-Drink (RTD) beverages and non-alcoholic drinks masked a decline in traditional alcoholic beverage consumption.…

Alcoholic drinks packaging declined in the retail channel, increased in the foodservice channel and saw only minimal growth overall in Canada in 2022. While shifting consumer preferences towards premium and craft beverages have been seen in recent…

Systematic analgesics is expected to register positive retail value (constant 2023 prices) growth over 2023, after a spike in 2022 driven by very strong demand for paediatric analgesics, as well as fast demand for adult pain relief, as respiratory…

Mask demand experiences a significant decrease in 2023 following the conclusion of most public mask mandates in 2022. Remaining mandates, including those in public areas of hospitals in Canada, also have come to an end in 2023. With declining…

In 2023, apparel and footwear sustained its growth trajectory, building on the momentum generated in the robust year of 2022. The first half of 2023 witnessed accelerated expansion as consumers actively engaged in refreshing and upgrading their…

Continuing on from the promising performance of the previous two years, apparel and footwear specialists continued to see growth in Canada in current value terms in 2023. The factors that drove growth in the retail apparel market included the…

Appliances and electronics specialists worked to adapt to changing market conditions in Canada in 2023. When shopping for appliances and electronics, consumers are demanding fast and efficient service, both online and in-store. Retailers are adopting…

The away-from-home adult incontinence market in Canada is experiencing a mixed landscape. On one hand, continuous growth is expected in the 65+ age demographic in Canada through the forecast period, with Canadians 65+ expected to exceed 9 million by…

Despite the prevailing high inflation rates that strained family budgets and escalated the costs of essential commodities such as groceries, the sales of baby and child-specific products remained resilient in 2023. Value growth was primarily…

Growing health awareness is leading parents to opt for healthier baby food, particularly snacks. Snacking items are also experiencing an uptick in demand due to the higher number of working mothers seeking high-quality, healthy snacks for their…

Stand-up pouches are the most popular pack type in Canadian baby food, including both plastic pouches and aluminium/plastic pouches. They are viewed as offering a modern look, while being lighter and safer than glass, and enabling infants to feed…

In 2023, bags and luggage registered robust growth, with luggage leading the way with double-digit gains as it continued to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite higher inflation, Canadians were eager to travel after several years…

Retail volume sales of baked goods are contracting in growth as prices continue to soar to record levels. Rising prices are compelling consumers to down trade or turn to discount retailers for their grocery needs, including baked goods. Stores like…

Bath and shower exhibited robust growth in 2023, primarily driven by price escalations as volumes lagged due to consumer retrenchment amidst inflationary pressures and premiumisation. Categories such as liquid soap, considered household staples,…

In 2023, beauty and personal care continued its growth trajectory following a robust recovery in the previous year. Fragrances, colour cosmetics, and skin care led in terms of value sales as Canadians sought out "affordable luxuries" to boost their…

The growth of skin care packaging in Canada can be attributed to an increasing demand for skin care products as Canadians place a greater emphasis on self-care and wellness. This has led to a greater need for packaging solutions that accommodate the…

Beer, despite being the largest alcoholic drink category in Canada, continued to lose popularity in 2023. The country's younger population increasingly moved away from traditional beer, perceiving it as a drink for older generations. The category…

In 2023, bleach sales increased in retail value terms, primarily driven by price increases, with heightened prices leading to a retail volume decline. Although bleach has traditionally been used as a cleaning agent, consumers are concerned about the…

With the continuous increase in inflation and uncertainty around the timeframe for economic recovery, travellers are paying close attention to how much they are spending on their holidays. Travellers are keeping a close eye on special airline deals,…

One of the most notable shifts witnessed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was the shift from on-trade to off-trade. As a result, local consumers bought larger formats of bottled water to use in their homes in bulk. However, consumption…

Breakfast cereals continues to witness a contraction in its growth. A negative perception surrounding breakfast cereals, largely due to concerns about their sugar content, is leading consumers to seek out healthier breakfast alternatives. This shift…

Butter and spreads growth remains stagnant in 2023. The category is facing one of the steepest price increases, as inflation reaches a record high. Although the overall Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) experienced a decline in the early months of…

The federal beverage alcohol duty was set to increase by 6.3% on March 2023, which would have forced some bars and restaurants out of business. However, the federal government decided to cap the increase at 2% on April 2023, which will stay in place…

Cannabis sales growth is being driven by adult-use cannabis, with a growing user base linked to the illicit market, growing social acceptance and fair pricing. Heightened consumer stress as a result for inflation is also encouraging growing use,…

Off-trade volume sales declined in 2023 due to ongoing negative public perceptions around carbonates. Rising health consciousness has led consumers to shift towards healthier options such as sparkling bottled water and RTD tea juices. This trend has…

As in dog food, the trend towards premium and natural offerings continued in cat food in Canada at the end of the review period. Owners increasingly look for high-quality, whole-food ingredients and specialised diets for their cats. Importantly, they…

Growth continues to slow for charge cards in Canada in 2023, with the category’s relevance fading rapidly. One reason is lack of availability, with American Express morphing many of its charge cards into the realm of traditional credit cards. For the…

Cheese consumption continues to rise in Canada, leading to an enhancement in overall sales both in terms of value and volume. Effective trade agreements have facilitated the availability of a wide variety of cheese from countries including the US and…

Childrenswear experiences solid value growth in 2023, continuing its recovery from the previous year. However, volume growth diminishes due to inflationary pressures, prompting consumers to focus on essentials. Back-to-school shopping in 2023, a…

Chocolate confectionery maintains its healthy growth in Canada in 2024, bolstered primarily by escalating commodity prices and a strong consumer desire for indulgence. Cocoa prices experienced significant increases in the first half of the year,…

In 2023, cider/perry in Canada continued its downward trajectory. Although some growth was brought on by the on-trade sector, the off-trade segment saw a significant decline. The category struggled due to a lack of new product launches and faced…

In 2023, Canada saw a significant decline in the production of traditional cigarettes, with January marking the third lowest monthly production on record. This decrease in production capacity in the tobacco manufacturing industry marks part of the…

Despite challenges in the wider tobacco category, cigars in Canada continue to attract a dedicated following among cigar aficionados and other tobacco enthusiasts. There is a growing interest in pairing cigars with craft beverages, such as whiskey…

In Canada, there is a great deal of competition in coffee, especially as players seek to make their products more sustainable amongst an increasingly informed population that cares about the social and environmental impacts of their consumption. As a…

Colour cosmetics witnessed exceptional growth in 2023, fuelled by consumers seeking to indulge in affordable luxuries amidst challenging economic conditions marked by high inflation and interest rates. As the cost of daily essentials such as rents,…

In 2024, computers and peripherals in Canada is expected to see retail volume sales rebound following strong decreases in 2022 and 2023. Upgrades supported growth as computers purchased before and during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis of 2020…

Concentrates registered healthy volume growth in Canada in 2023. A return to normal levels of activity outside of the home post-pandemic has led to increased consumption of concentrates, particularly liquid concentrates, which outperformed powder…

Flexible packaging continues to be the dominant packaging in confectionery, with flexible plastic the main individual pack type thanks to its strong position in chocolate confectionery. Flexible plastic is also the most-used pack type for sugar…

Consumer appliances continued to exhibit a corrective phase throughout 2023, stemming from the heightened sales witnessed during the pandemic, attributed to prolonged home isolation due to COVID-19 policies and a robust housing market. This…

In 2023 the Bank of Canada has tweaked its prime interest rate several times. The impact on the housing market has been a rise in household mortgage debt. Consumers with variable rate mortgages or on the cusp of renewals have been struck especially…

Overall, consumer electronics in Canada is set to see a rebound in retail volume sales, with a moderate increase projected for 2024. The decline in retail volume sales in 2023 was primarily due to more careful and targeted spending by consumers, who…

The travel and tourism industry has shown a strong recovery across 2021 and 2022 and in 2023, it was very close to reaching pre-pandemic value sales levels. As such, consumer food service through travel was the best-performing non-stand-alone…

The foodservice industry continued to show strong sales growth in 2023. However, much of this growth was driven by inflation, with operators, labour, rent and food costs having significantly increased. As such, the main driver of value sales in 2023…

In 2023, still relatively high inflation continues to impact prices of essentials, such as groceries, as well as consumer health products, including OTC remedies, vitamins and dietary supplements and sports nutrition. However, consumer demand remains…

Canada's credit landscape in 2023 is showing rises in lending, with more Canadians gaining access to lending products via traditional financial institutions and private lenders. At the same time, as the cost of living bears down on Canadians, thanks…

In 2024, there has been continued value growth in contact lenses and solutions sales in Canada, primarily driven by the steady return of consumers to workplaces and out-of-home activities following the rollback of COVID-19 safety measures by Canadian…

Convenience retailers in Canada faced a challenging environment in 2023. The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent high rates of inflation have made consumers more conscious of their spending and more likely to shop around for the best deals. In this…