The coronavirus and purchasing habits. What can we learn from it?

As the coronavirus crisis hit Quebec hard last March, did Quebecers’ online purchasing habits change? Where did they shop? What type of product did they favor most during the recent crisis? A portrait of online shopping in Quebec from 2019 to today.

2019 data

To better understand the impact of the crisis on the purchasing behaviors of online shoppers, let’s take a closer look at the 2019 figures from the NETendances 2019 survey – E-commerce in Quebec, made public by CEFRIO on March 31, a center facilitating research and innovation in organizations that ceased its activities on June 30.

Thus, in 2019, well before the pandemic, total online purchases in Quebec were estimated at $12.5 billion, with an average monthly online shopping basket of $313. Amazon alone accounted for 35% of these sales. By itself. The percentage of Quebec adults who made at least one online purchase was 63%.

What did Quebec online shoppers consume the most via e-commerce?

38%: clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories
30%: show and entertainment tickets
29%: music, movies and video games

Of course, other categories are also part of the research. Here is a table (2019) showing the online habits of Quebec consumers according to their gender, age group and annual income before tax.

Trend in online purchasing habits and coronavirus

On March 25 and 29, a quick survey among Quebec adult Internet users, carried out by the firm BIP Recherche, revealed that 28% of Internet users had personally changed their online purchasing habits since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. Finally, 79% of Quebec adults surveyed intended to shop online more in “local” businesses. Indeed, trends allow us to state that Quebec online shoppers turned to local purchasing during the recent crisis.

Let us think in particular of the various initiatives that emerged in Quebec such as Le Panier bleu (by the Government of Quebec), the J’achète bleu campaign (by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec) or, closer to home, the Local Services module set up by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie du Cœur-du-Québec and the Marché Godefroy, which now offers its merchants’ products via the Locavora platform. To name only those… (the list would be long!)

In short, the recent crisis favored local purchasing habits.

Now, how can you adapt your online business model?

First, know that selling online is not simply limited to an online store. Indeed, offering products for online purchase is not relevant for all local businesses. For example, if you are a service-based business, offering online appointment booking can constitute your “e-commerce”.

Thus, depending on your business and its objectives, several options may be relevant to you:

Extension of an online store on your website
Creation of an online store
Sale of products via third parties
Detailed order form
Online booking module
And more!

Don’t know where to start? Our team can advise you at the stage you are at.
In addition, different budget envelopes are available to entrepreneurs in the region, including that of En+reprendre Bécancour.

Don’t wait any longer, reconnect with your local clientele online, because they are there more than ever. Sometimes, it is only small improvements to your website that can make all the difference. Contact us.

Sources:

https://cefrio.qc.ca/fr/enquetes-et-donnees/netendances2019-commerce-electronique-au-quebec-2019/

https://cefrio.qc.ca/media/2336/netendances_2019_le-commerce-%C3%A9lectronique-au-qu%C3%A9bec.pdf

http://iceq.cefrio.qc.ca/