Consumer Lifestyles in Canada 2014

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN
CANADA
Euromonitor International
August 2014
CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA
LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

Top Five Consumer Trends .......................................................................................................... 1
Consumer Segmentation .............................................................................................................. 3
Babies and Infants .................................................................................................................... 3
Kids........................................................................................................................................... 4
Tweenagers .............................................................................................................................. 5
Young Adults ............................................................................................................................ 7
Middle Youth ............................................................................................................................. 9
Mid-lifers ................................................................................................................................. 10
Table 1
Chart 1
Consumer Segmentation and Population Data 2000, 2005, 2011,

2012, 2013, 2016 ....................................................................................... 12
Population Aged 15-64 Compared with Old-Age Dependency Ratio
2000-2020 .................................................................................................. 13
Housing and Households ........................................................................................................... 13

Home Ownership .................................................................................................................... 13
Running Costs ........................................................................................................................ 17
Table 2
Chart 2
Housing and Households Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ........ 18
Number of Households by Disposable Income Bracket 2005, 2010,
2016 ........................................................................................................... 20
Money and Savings .................................................................................................................... 20

Attitudes Towards Payment Methods ..................................................................................... 20
Savings ................................................................................................................................... 21
Loans and Mortgages ............................................................................................................. 22
Table 3
Chart 3
Money and Savings Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016................. 24
Consumer Lending Compared with Savings and Savings Ratio 20002016 ........................................................................................................... 25
Eating and Drinking .................................................................................................................... 25

Drinking Habits ....................................................................................................................... 27
Table 4
Chart 4
Eating and Drinking Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................. 28
Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth
in Consumer Expenditure on Food and Alcoholic Drinks 2000-2016 ......... 29
Grooming and Fashion ............................................................................................................... 29

Male Grooming ....................................................................................................................... 31
Table 5
Chart 5
Grooming and Fashion Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016............ 33
in Consumer Expenditure on Clothing, Footwear and Personal Care
2000-2016 .................................................................................................. 33
Health and Wellness .................................................................................................................. 34

Attitudes To Health and Well-being ........................................................................................ 34
Obesity ................................................................................................................................... 36
Attitudes To Smoking.............................................................................................................. 36
Table 6
Chart 6
Health and Wellness Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ............... 38
Real Growth in Public and Private Expenditure on Health Compared
with Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth 2000-2013 ....................................... 39
Shopping Habits ......................................................................................................................... 40
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Personal Shopping ................................................................................................................. 41

Table 7
Chart 7
Shopping Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................. 43

Index of Retail Sales through Discounters, Supermarkets and Internet
Retailing 2000-2016 ................................................................................... 44
Leisure and Recreation .............................................................................................................. 44

Going Out ............................................................................................................................... 45
Vacations ................................................................................................................................ 48
Table 8
Chart 8
Leisure and Recreation Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ........... 51
Percentage of Households in Possession of Cable TV; Satellite TV
System; Internet Enabled Computer; Mobile Telephone; Video
Games Console 2000-2016 ....................................................................... 52
Getting Around ........................................................................................................................... 52

Air Travel ................................................................................................................................ 55
Table 9
Chart 9
Transport Data: 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................ 56

in Consumer Expenditure on Transport Services and Purchase of
Cars, Motorcycles and other Vehicles 2000-2016 ...................................... 56
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II

TOP FIVE CONSUMER TRENDS
Consumer debt continues to grow
In 2013, consumer debt levels continued to increase at record rates despite persistent
warnings to Canadians to rein in their borrowing and spending. In large part, borrowing levels
were fuelled by a rise in the number and value of auto loans and instalment loans taken out to
buy big-ticket items, such as home appliances and other durables. In 2013, the outstanding
balance of Canadian consumer credit reached nearly C$495 billion, up by more than 5% since
2011 and up by a significant 38% since 2005.
In a recent article in the Globe and Mail, Laurie Campbell, CEO of Credit Canada Debt
Solutions, said Debt is enemy number one when it comes to your finances and we have
forgotten that. People have become so used to having all this debt. Leslie Preston, an
economist with Toronto-Dominion Bank, added high consumer debt levels makes them more
vulnerable should there be an unexpected shock in the economy.
Most economists and other observers projected consumer borrowing (and spending) to
continue to grow steadily over 2014 but recent data suggests that, while debt accumulation is
indeed continuing to increase, the pace of growth is slowing as consumers reassess their
spending. But while consumers appear to be reconsidering borrowing for household items,
theyre not hesitating to borrow to finance purchases of new cars as auto loans continue to
increase at record rates.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal noted a report from BMO Capital Markets which
said Canadians interest in buying cars is so strong, it may signal a deep shift in consumer
preferences away from other big-ticket items toward the auto sector. At the same time,
according to the article, some concerns remain, particularly in light of anticipated interest rate
rises: Tim ONeil, senior vice president of structured finance in Canada at ratings firm DBRS,
said there are two aspects of auto finance in the country that are somewhat worrying: the longer
terms of the loansmore are being issued for 74 and 82 month termsand increasing loan-tovalue ratios, meaning that consumers are making a smaller down payment and borrowing more
to buy cars.
Canadian consumers want to buy locally produced foods
As Canadian consumers have become increasingly aware of the wide range of environmental
and sustainability issues surrounding food production, a significant number have responded by
buyingor at least making an effort to buylocal or Canadian-made food products.
Additionally, beyond the ethical issues some consumers simply believe that local food is fresher
and tastes better. At the same time, many participating in the buy local movement find great
satisfaction from supporting their local economy.
A 2013 survey by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and pollster Ipsos
revealed that nearly two-thirds of Canadian consumers said they had made an effort to buy
locally produced food during the previous 12 months. Nearly three-quarters of consumers in
Quebec and Atlantic Canada said they make an effort to buy locally produced food compared to
one-half of consumers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Additionally, nearly three-quarters of
Canadian consumers overall said they were willing to pay more for locally produced food and
40% said they consider local production to be an important factor in their purchasing decisions.
In a separate report, BDC noted the results of a recent BMO Financial Group Food Survey:
Not surprisingly, consumers tend to support their local food products. For instance, Albertans
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more frequently purchase local beef, Ontarians support local wine, residents in British Columbia
and Ontario tend to buy locally grown fruits more often, Atlantic Canadians are most likely to buy
local fish, and Quebec residents are most likely to purchase locally made cheese.
Canadian online shoppers looking south of the border
The Canadian internet retail environment has made it difficult for consumers who wish to shop
online. Among the primary reasons for this have been the lack of products available on domestic
sites, relatively high prices, high delivery costs and the late (or lack of) presence of robust
internet sites operated by Canadian retailers. As a result, in 2013 internet retailing accounted for
only 1.8% of total retailing in the country. In contrast, in the same year internet retailing
accounted for 7.3% of overall retailing in the United States.
Despite an abundance of obstacles (including the additional tax and duty that must be paid for
products crossing the border) Canadians wanting to shop online have turned to US retail sites
and consumers are expected to continue looking south of the border in years to come as they
become more comfortable dealing with US retail sites.
The preference of many Canadian online shoppers to cross the digital border has also
significantly influenced their shopping habits in recent years. In particular, many Canadian
consumers now eagerly await the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales that fall after American
Thanksgiving, looking for their bargains before Christmas rather than waiting until the traditional
Boxing Day sales.
Growing demand by consumers for gluten-free and other healthier foods
In line with the trend of consumers looking to follow healthier diets, numerous commentators
and observers have noted that demand for gluten-free foods in restaurants and on grocery
shelves has become one of the hottest food trends among Canada consumers. According to
Restaurant Canadas 2014 Chef Survey, Canadians are going gaga for gluten-free. After a
four-year reign as the hottest menu trend, local food has been dethroned by gluten-free/allergy
conscious food. The reason, according to industry publication Canadian Grocer, is that a
growing number of grocery shoppers are eyeballing ingredient lists and want to eat what they
perceive as being more natural food products.
More broadly, Canadian consumers are also seeking fewer processed foods and continue to
look increasingly for products that are low or free of such ingredients as salt, sugar and fat.
Indeed, the retail value of health and wellness packaged food increased by nearly 10% between
2008 and 2013 to reach CAD14.3 billion in 2013.
Canadian consumers flocking to power centres
Despite the rise, albeit late, of internet retailing in the country, most Canadian consumers still
strongly prefer to shop in retail stores. Indeed, 97% of retailing was store-based in 2013, a figure
down by only less than one percent since 2008. But regardless of their loyalty to store-based
retailers, consumer preferences for where they go to enjoy their shopping have nevertheless
shifted in recent years.
A recent report from Industry Canada revealed several trends in store-based shopping that
have affected consumers shopping habits. In particular, while the shopping mall remains the
traditional favourite shopping destination, it is the growing number of power centres, groups of
three or more big box stores arranged around a central parking pad with ancillary commercial
activities, that are emerging as the go to retail locations for Canadian consumers. According to
research sources cited in the report, power centres are not only easily accessible off major
transportation routes and offer functional designs that promote hassle-free, one-stop shopping,
but they also provide consumers with a wider range of stores, better product variety and broader
selection.
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At the same time, however, the report notes that not all consumers are benefitting from the
trend of power centres becoming the hub of Canadian retailing. Among these, obviously, are
consumers who do not drive or who do not live near enough to a power centre to visit when
theyd like. Industry Canada notes This may...limit an individual's choice in terms of products
and prices available in retail outlets that are close in geographic proximity. The report also
notes that power centres are not necessarily convenient for vulnerable consumers such as
seniors and disabled consumers who may face problems in navigating around the large spaces
that dominate the power centre landscape, or transporting their purchases from the power
centres back to their residences, particularly if they do not have access to a vehicle.
Industry Canada noted a related aspect of the rise of power centres: the demise of the strip
mall. Strip malls are becoming less relevant in the Canadian retail landscape, although they are
still a ubiquitous presence in most suburban landscapes, as consumers' preferences have
shifted to shopping at large, multi-levelled shopping centres and/or power centres...The
curtailment of strip malls can have a substantial impact on small communities in Canada...Strip
malls...provide easy accessibility to goods and services for small, surrounding communities that
may not have the means or time to travel to shopping malls or power centres outside the core.
CONSUMER SEGMENTATION
Babies and Infants
The number of babies and infants dipped slightly in the early 2000s but reached 1.188 million
in 2013, up from 1.024 million in 2005. This number is expected to reach 1.226 million in 2016.
Canadian fertility rates have been below replacement levels, currently defined as 2.1 children
per woman in Canada, for longer than 30 years. A major theory behind the uptick in the size of
Canadas baby and infant population correlates to the increasing fertility rates of Canadas
immigrant population. Since the early 1990s, Canada has welcomed large numbers of
immigrants through its liberal immigration policies and Canada has become home to the largest
foreign-born population as a proportion of its total population of any G8 countries. Many of these
immigrants hail from areas of the world where fertility rates are much higher than in the
developed world, and there is a markedly higher fertility rate in those immigrant communities in
Canada. This trend is expected to continue into and beyond 2016. Outside of Canadas
immigrant communities, fertility rates remain low, at 1.5 children per woman, which puts Canada
on par with many European countries that are facing demographic decline. If Canada is unable
to boost the total average fertility rate, it is likely to enter into an overall population decline as
soon as 2020. As an important backdrop to these trends, the average age at which a woman
first gives birth in Canada has been increasing. Previously, women aged 25 to 29 had been the
most fertile group in Canada, but that has now been overtaken by women in the 30 to 34 group.
Pre-school and junior kindergarten does not start until three years old in Canada, so babies
and infants are not included in pre-school attendance figures. Nevertheless, 24% of Canadian
babies and infants are enrolled in formal childcare programmes, compared to the OECD
average of 30%. An increasing number of spaces are being created to accommodate growing
childcare demand. A recent report by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit of Canada
noted the increasing trend of for-profit childcare providers. As such, while childcare centres have
been expanding, much of the growth is driven by for-profit centres. The cost structure for
Canadian childcare varies greatly from province to province, and city to city. In places like
Vancouver the childcare subsidy is C$635 per month, but childcare costs go up to C$1,500 per
month, which limits some families access to childcare services. Quebec has the lowest
childcare costs at C$154 per month on average. While childcare costs can be a constraining
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factor with respect to parents attitudes depending on the location, the Canadian government
provides generous maternity and parental leave across the country.
Baby food goes organic
Demand for baby food is accompanied by shifting preferences towards organic baby food and
an increased awareness of food allergies, which closely follows Canadians increased demand
for healthy products generally. In fact, demand for organic baby food grew by 63.4% (in real
terms) between 2005 and 2013. The Business Development Bank of Canada has noted in their
2013 Five Game-Changing Consumer Trends report that, half of Canadians think of the health
impact of products when making purchasing decisions and one-third are willing to pay a
premium for healthy products. Organic baby food has become one of the top 12 highest value
pre-packaged organic grocery items in British Columbia, which in total account for 80% of total
organic sales in the province. The overall growth in demand for organic baby food went from
from C$30.2.million in 2005 to C$49.4 million in 2013, and consumers interest in organic baby
food has continued to remain strong.
Cloth nappies come online
Canadian parents have been attracted to using cloth nappies and are using online platforms
to meet their cloth nappy needs. The Business Development Bank of Canada noted in their
2013 report that the internet has become an omnipresent path for purchasing in Canada. This
has translated into consumers looking for more possibilities to meet their cloth nappy needs
online. Consumers find that buying the cloth nappies ultimately results in thousands of dollars of
savings during their childs nappy-wearing period. Research has shown that households are
spending more on nappies than they were two years ago, so reusability is a big part of the cost
savings that attracts consumers to cloth nappies today. Furthermore, Canadian consumers are
inclined to buy local and the renewed interest in cloth nappies has spawned many Canadian
producers, stores and online storefronts to cater to the Canadian consumers desire for Made-inCanada products, according to DirtyDiaperLaundry.com.
Kids
In a similar fashion to the size of the baby and infant population, the kids population dipped
slightly between 2000 and 2005, falling from 2.37 million to 2.151 million, but has been climbing
steadily since 2011 when population reached 2.223 million, and it is expected to reach 2.427
million by 2016. With the overall growth in the population, the kids share as a proportion of the
total Canadian population was 6.5% in 2013 and it is expected to reach 6.7% in 2016. According
to Canadian census information, the population of kids is evenly distributed with each age (three
to eight years of age), constituting a little more than 1% of the total population.
With immigration being such an important part of the population growth, it is reflected in the
composition of Canadas population of kids. For instance, Canadas West Asian and Arab
populations have the lowest average age, at 8 and 8.8 years respectively. Furthermore, among
Canadian-born children of immigrants, roughly 81% live in Canadas large census metropolitan
areas such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. With regard to the entire population of
Canadas kids, the provinces with large populations are home to the largest numbers of children
in terms of their size. However, the breakdown is slightly different when considering the
percentage of children on a province-by-province basis. Although Nunavut is the least populated
province in Canada, it has the highest percentage of kids, with 13% of the population being
between three and eight years old. Northwest Territory, which is also very sparsely populated, is
home to the second highest percentage of kids, with 9% of its 43,537 total population being
kids. In terms of the provinces with larger populations, Alberta stands out with 7.5% of its
4,025,074 total population being kids.
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Elementary school begins at four or five years old with kindergarten, although junior
kindergarten is available in Ontario for students aged three to four years old. Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick are the two exceptions, as pre-elementary education is required. Private school
is also an option across all of the provinces except Northwest Territories and Nunavut and
Quebec is a leader in terms of enrolment, with 10% of all students in the province being enrolled
in private school.
DIY for kids
Homemade toys have always been a part of kids lives, although the convenience of modern
purchased toys has come to define how children play. Nevertheless, an article from the National
Post of Canada shows that today there is a renewed interest in homemade toys from Canadian
parents. The trend of homemade toys is remerging in a context where Canadians are looking to
reconnect with traditions and think more strategically about the preponderant role that
technology plays in their life. As a reflection of the trend of the increasing importance of online
social networks and increased information sharing, forums provide instructions and ideas for
building toys at home. New ideas for homemade toys can be accessed more easily, but in a
similar vein, parents are increasingly looking to purchase toys that help foster a do-it-yourself
spirit in their kids. Toys R Us Canada identified do-it-yourself toys as a top trend. Although there
were many successful high-tech toys 2013 holiday season, do-it-yourself toys were among the
most successful and continue to garner interest.
Starting coding early
While Canadians are looking for ways to disconnect, Canadian parents are nonetheless eager
to familiarise their children with technology and are looking to start skills-building early. There is
a wide array of possibilities that toy producers are exploring as more toys integrate computer
concepts. Generally, for younger children, coding skills are not implemented directly, but
concepts are taught through play. Coding toys may be building blocks that allow children to build
a computer and then proceed to coding and playing classic and new games, or they may foster
a deeper understanding of how computer games work. Coding games tap into childrens desire
to tinker and parents desire to build technical literacy. On top of the toys that help teach kids
coding principles, many online resources have emerged. Examples that stand out are
Kidscodejeunesse.com, which provides online tools in French and English, and CodeKids.ca,
among many others. As this is a new area of toy-making, many new variations will continue to
emerge. Another trend within the emergence of toys that teach coding, is the people and
organisations who are creating these toys and how they are being funded. Rather than coming
from the largest toy manufacturers, some of the greatest recent successes come from small
independent toy designers, or even creative parents. Furthermore, many coding toys have been
funded through crowd-funding platforms such as Kickstarter.
Tweenagers
The tweenagers age group in Canada has experienced a gradual but steady decline in terms
of population. The number of tweenagers shrank from 1.657 million in 2000 to 1.646 million in
2005. By 2011 the population of tweenagers was 1.480 million, which continued to shrink in
2012, when the tweenager population reached 1.477 million. It was only in 2013 that there was
a slight increase, with the population growing by 5,000 to reach a total of 1.482 million. The
growth in the population is expected to continue, reaching 1.543 million in 2016. As with kids,
Nunavut and Northwest Territory stand out for their high percentage of tweenagers, with 7% and
5%, respectively, although the provinces are very sparsely populated. The large population
centres are also home to the largest numbers of tweenagers, with Ontario having 583,847 and
Quebec having 311,358 tweenagers.
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Tweenagers are more independent than children in terms of their consumption habits.
Nevertheless, they still share commonalities with children and older groups. Furthermore,
tweenagers are very active online, although they present particular challenges. Social pressures
are such that tech-literate tweens feel a need to participate on social networks, and cyber
bullying is increasingly becoming an issue.
Smartphones get traction with tweens
Smartphones have become ubiquitous and Canadians are becoming younger and younger at
the age that they receive their first smartphone. Recent research shows that for grade 4
students 24% have a smartphone, in grade 5 that number is 31%, and in grade 6 it is 38%.
Such easy access to smartphones provides unprecedented access to the internet. Furthermore,
the research shows that despite the fact that Facebook and Twitter require that users be at least
13 years old, 30% of nine to 12 year olds have a Facebook account and 16% have a Twitter
account. At the same time, research from Fuel Youth Engagement shows that tweens are less
inclined to stick to social media platforms like Facebook, and are more inclined to use specific
social media platforms for specific purposes, such as messaging through messaging sites or
sharing photos on photo-sharing sites.
In conjunction with the greater ease with which tweens can connect to the internet through
their smartphones and their greater numbers, online activity monitoring is also becoming a
bigger business. Online monitoring tools have been available to parents for quite some time.
What is new, however, is the increased integration with mobile devices to address the large
numbers of tweens who are accessing the Internet through their smartphones.
Tweens tutor to get ahead
Students and parents have often sought tutoring for kids who were struggling in class.
However, parents are increasingly enrolling successful students in tutoring programmes in order
to improve their childs opportunities and skills later in life. Furthermore, the overall performance
in subjects like maths has decreased somewhat in provinces like Ontario, so parents feel a need
to ensure that their children are provided with a solid base.
Based on figures from one of Canadas largest tutoring centres, nearly 70% of its pupils are
from grades 1 through 5, with most pupils being in grades 3 and 4. In Canada, grades 3 and 4
correspond to ages 8, 9 and 10. Canadas tutoring industry has undergone impressive growth
over the last couple of years, with leading companies enjoying up to 23% growth in the last
three years, according to a September 2013 article in the Globe and Mail. Tutoring services are
available across a number of media and price ranges. Some companies offer tutoring through
bricks-and-mortar centres, while there are also an increasing number of online tutoring services
available.
Teens Canadas teen population is gradually shrinking and is expected to continue with this
trend until at least 2016. The number of teens in Canada in 2000 was 2.075 million, a figure that
grew to 2.185 million in 2005, only to fall to 2.061 million in 2011. The size of the teenage
population continued to fall, reaching 2.022 million in 2012 and 1.986 million in 2013. The
teenage population is expected to reach 1.927 million by 2016. In terms of the percentage of
teens in a given province, all of the provinces are closely matched with roughly between 5% and
6% of the total population for a province being teens. The exception is Nunavut, with
approximately 7% respectively, which is closer to the other provincial percentages. School is
mandatory in Canada across all provinces until the student is 15 or 16 years old, although there
are provincial variances. Notably, the mandatory school leaving age in Ontario, Manitoba and
New Brunswick is 18 years old. Compared to other OECD nations, Canada produces a high
level of high school graduates. A recent report from the Council of Minister of Education in
Canada notes that At 85 per cent, Canada is above the OECD average, and at the average for
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European countries. The equivalent rate for the United States is 77 per cent. Recent research
from the Alberta government has found several dietary trends with Canadian teens. They found
that teens are more likely to replace meals with snacks and they consume higher amounts of
non-traditional snacks, which include cereals, pizza and sandwiches. Their research also
identified other trends in teens dietary habits, namely that teens snack more while playing
games, and even more when playing video games. While making healthy choices is a key factor
in adults consumption decisions, it is less of a factor in teens decision-making.
Teens choose e-books
According to recent research, 90% of mums manage household finances, and 80% of
mothers let teenagers make their purchasing decisions. Within those purchasing decisions, the
most common category of products are books, CDs and DVDs. With respect to the Canadian
consumer, more of those books purchases will be made on e-readers in the future, even for kids
and the share of e-readers and tablets in teens hands increasing. For the time being, the
majority of teens continue to read paperbacks. In addition, research shows that 29% of
teenagers said they currently prefer reading e-books, while 37% prefer print and 34% had no
preference.
Tablet prices come down, giving access to teens As a result of a great increase in the variety
of tablets available, teens are now able to acquire tablets at reasonable prices. The tablets that
teens purchase are more likely to be the same tablets that adults are purchasing. Costs have
come down considerably, with tablets running on the Android operating system now being
available for C$60 and upwards. Tablets provide an opportunity to tailor content to teen users.
Teens can more easily follow programming that aligns with their interests and stay up to date
with their favourite shows through increased streaming television options.
Parents want to see the value in tablets beyond a greater ability to stream media and use the
internet for social networking. The educational potential of tablets is also an important aspect for
parents. Major streaming content websites having begun marketing to parents, underscoring the
availability of family-oriented content. Avid parents have also taken to online forums and
websites to provide lists of the best educational content that can be found in Canada.
Furthermore, textbooks and other specifically designed educational tools are being produced in
increasing quantities in recognition of the greater numbers of tablets in teens hands.
Young Adults
The young adult (18-29) population constitutes roughly 16% of the overall Canadian
population and continues to grow with the overall population. The number of young adults in
2000 was 4.984 million and by 2005 that figure reached 5.251 million. The growth of the young
adult population appears to be losing amplitude with the incremental growth being smaller each
year in 2012 with the population at 5.769 million, while in 2013 the population grew by only
23,000 to reach 5.792 million in total, and by 2016 the young adult population is expected to
shrink somewhat, going down to 5.763 million in total. For this age range in the age pyramid, the
provinces are closely matched for the percentage of the population that is composed of young
adults, with most provinces having between 14% and 16% of their population being young
adults. Alberta though has slightly over 18% of its population being young adults. The Northwest
Territories and Nunavut remain more remarkable outliers with 20% and 21% of their population
being young adults. Students leaving high school with sufficient academic qualifications have a
variety of public and private university options in Canada. Canadas rate of college graduates, at
35%, is slightly below the OECD average, which is 40%. The rate for the United States is 39%,
while in Europe it is 41%. The average amount paid for tuition fees for Canadian undergraduate
students in 2013 was C$5,581, which is up from C$5,313 a year earlier, although costs vary
widely depending on the type of university that is attended. Costs for graduate school averaged
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only a slightly price in 2013 at C$5,695, which is slightly higher than C$5,450 the year before.
Current figures show that six in 10 Canadian students will finish their undergraduate degree
having taken on some form of debt to finance their studies. On average, the amount of debt for
those six out of 10 Canadian students is C$25,000. Beyond university studies, technical and
occupational schools are also options for Canadians. The graduation rate from technical and
occupational schools in 2013 was 18% for Canada, while it was 12% for the United States and
11% for the OECD average. In a similar fashion to OECD countries, higher educational
attainment has been shown to improve job security, minimise employment differences between
men and women, and generally improve earning potential.
Finding a Home A recent article notes the difficulties that Canadian young adults are facing
with respect to finding affordable housing, stating that, the average cost of a Canadian home
has more than doubled since 2000, and youth underemployment is a growing problem.
Consequently, Canadian young adults do not have the same single-minded attachment to home
ownership and their circumstances are forcing them to reconsider housing options. In recent
years the number of Canadian young adults who have moved backed in with their parents has
increased; the most recent accurate figure from 2011 was 42.3%, while it was 27% in 1981.
Canadas young adults are also looking to renting as a long-term option and consider living
with roommates for longer periods of time. Additionally, non-traditional living arrangements are
also becoming more popular. Housing collectives and co-operatives have sprung up throughout
Canada, where young adults live and share household tasks. Typically, collectives and cooperatives are home to large numbers of people, with sometimes as many as 12 people living in
the home. This brings downs the cost of rent and typically members share food costs. In
addition to roommates, collectives and general renting, a recent article notes that some
Canadian young adults have got even more creative with their approach to housing, ranging
from living in a boat in Torontos marina, to living in vans or other vehicles. With respect to
managing their housing situation, Canadas young adults are more hamstrung than ever, and
although wages are climbing, unemployment and underemployment remain a problem.
Furthermore, as home costs across Canada have doubled since 2000, and this phenomenon is
even more acute in the major urban centres across Canada. More than ever, Canadas young
adults are thus faced with a decision to move to larger cities with greater employment prospects,
but they must figure out how to house themselves as housing costs continue to rise.
Spending More, Earning More A report from late 2013 prepared by TD Bank examined the
spending habits of Canadas young adults. Their research found that while more than half (55%)
of Canadas young adults save at least 10% of each paycheque, 66% either do not have a
budget or do not follow the budget that they have created. The top seven items that Canadas
young adults are most likely to splurge on are restaurants, bars and entertainment with friends
(48%), snacks and coffee on the go (41%), fashion (37%), gifts (37%), the latest tech gadgets
(29%), travel (27%) and cosmetics and health products (27%). As a general trend, real median
income for Canadians in their early twenties has been increasing by 0.9% per annum since the
late 1990s. As a consequence, Canadas current young adults are expected to have greater
spending power than their parents. On the whole, research shows that there is still a university
degree premium in Canada, and the graduation rate has been stable at 39% since 2007. There
are important caveats, however. Rising tuition costs and greater levels of debt have diminished
that premium in Canada. Furthermore, not all areas of study provide the same return on
investment. Research from CIBC notes that, Across subjects, the biggest bang for buck comes
from specialized and professional fields such as medicine, law and engineering. Compare that
with life sciences, humanities and social sciences where the return on investment is much
lower.
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Middle Youth
The middle youths share of the overall population has been decreasing. In 2000 there were
7.543 million Canadians who were part of the middle-youth population. That constituted nearly
25% of the total Canadian population. In 2005 the total number of middle youth Canadians fell to
7.289 million, and this figure fell further to 7.035 million in 2011. There has been modest growth
in the total number of middle-youth Canadians, with the population growing to 7.089 million in
2012, and 7.157 million in 2013. This growth is expected to continue with the total population
estimated to reach 7.360 million in 2016. This growth is largely in parallel with the overall growth
of the total Canadian population; in 2013 middle-youth represented 20.34% of the total
population and in 2016 they are expected to represent 20.30% of the total population.
Geographically speaking, most provinces have between 18% and 20% of their population in
the mid-life range. Alberta is the most populous province to have a higher percentage of mid-life
residents, with nearly 23% of the population being between 30 and 44 years old. The Yukon and
Northwest Territories have 22% and 23%, respectively.
The median age in Canada was 40.1 years old in 2013, and the 30 to 44 year old age group
represents one-fifth of the total Canadian population. Canadians have been waiting longer to
have children. The Canadian statistical agency notes that, For the first time in 2010, the agespecific fertility rate was higher for women aged 35 to 39 (51.7 births per 1,000 women) than for
women aged 20 to 24 (48.0). By 2011, this gap had widened further to 52.3 and 45.7 births per
1,000 women in each respective age group. As a reflection of this trend, the average age of the
mother at first childbirth has increased to 29.5 years old in 2013.
Middle youth seeks greater customisation Customisation has been identified as an important
trend across all age groups. Consumers are increasingly demanding customisation at all levels,
from the food they eat to the vehicle that they drive. This trend is particularly noteworthy with
middle youth Canadians.
Research conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has shown that middle youth and
mid-life consumers have greater spending power, Typically, [these consumers] have more
disposable income and are willing to pay more for higher quality, luxury products. Canadas
middle youth are tech-savvy, while also being wealthier than their young adult counter parts. As
a consequence, there are many opportunities to provide customised products to Canadas
middle youth. Canadas middle youth expects their web content to be more carefully curated for
their preferences. Canadians have grown accustomed to customising their dining experiences.
There is an important intersection between customisation and health and dietary trends. One
example is gluten-free food, which is one of the largest dietary trends in Canada in 2014.
Canadian consumers will look to greater customisation options, such as the possibility to make
dishes gluten-free. Another example of the intersection between Canadian middle youths
growing interest in health and customisation are emerging companies that provide customers
with the option to customise health cereals or have customised energy bars. Canadian middle
youths differentiating quality is their greater relative wealth, which allows them to customise
everything from their electronics, to their clothes and cars.
Canadas middle youth gets fit
Canadas middle youth and mid-life consumers are key consumers for the health and
wellness sectors, but for different reasons. Research from the Business Development Bank of
Canada has shown that, between 2001 and 2011, the number of half-marathon finishers tripled.
Participation is highest among the 35-to-44 age group (31%), with these activities becoming
increasingly mainstream. Participation has also increased significantly in other high-intensity
activities, including ironman triathlons, obstacle course races, and themed or charity 5K races.
This increasing interest in endurance sports has spillover effects for the health and wellness
sector. The events themselves are very popular, but the athletic gear and training tools have
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also seen important increases in demand. Another finding from the Business Development Bank
of Canada was that, four out of every 10 dollars in the global weight loss and diet management
market are spent on devices and accessories. Activity monitors are a new trend within the
health and wellness market. Devices like pedometers have helped people keep track of how
many steps they take per day, giving a rough estimate of physical activity. New activity monitors
help the health and wellness-minded consumer measure how well they slept, take their heart
rate throughout the day, count the number of steps they take, monitor their athletic performance,
help them keep on a training programme, estimate calories burned and even share all of that
information with their friends or other runners online.
Mid-lifers
The size of the mid-life population in Canada grew considerably in the first decade of the
2000s. In 2000 the mid-life population was 5.916 million and rose considerably to 6.949 million
in 2005. By 2011 the mid-life population had reached 7.773 million. As a consequence, the midlifer population grew roughly 31% between 2000 and 2011. The growth of the population has
slowed in recent years; in 2013 the population rose slightly to 7.820 million. The modest
population growth is expected to become a slight decrease by 2016 with the mid-life population
reaching 7.785 million. Canadas Atlantic provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince
Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), are home to the largest percentage of midlifers, at 23% to 24% of the total population, and the Yukon is also home to a large percentage
of mid-lifers at 24%. Throughout the other provinces, the percentage of mid-lifers hovers at
around 20% to 22%. In contrast to Nunavuts high presence of younger persons, Nunavut has
the lowest percentage of mid-lifers at 14%. Between 2000 to 2013, the mid-life unemployment
rate stayed lower than any other group in the labour force. Additionally, Canadians over 45
years old (mid-lifers and late-lifers) account for a smaller portion of household debt, possessing
just 39% of total household debt in Canada. However, in recent years, the nature and risk of the
debt that mid-lifers possess has changed. Research by Bankruptcy trustees Hoyes, Michalos &
Associates shows that, Insolvent debtors aged 50-59 have the largest average unsecured debt
of all age groups at an astounding C$84,199 and this debt is growing, up 14% compared to our
previous study. Their research also found that the majority of insolvent debtors are between 30
and 49, and the fastest-growing group of insolvent debtors are those who are 50 years or older.
Living online The extent to which technology is permeating Canadians lives is evident in
2014. Younger Canadians have the image of being the most tech-hungry crowd. Canadian midlifers are connecting in important ways through social media, which distinguish them from other
age groups. Online dating is an area that is garnering increasing interest from Canadian midlifers. Silver divorces, which is to say divorces in couples aged in their 50s and 60s, are
becoming increasingly common in Canada. As a consequence, more Canadian mid-lifers are
looking to online dating sites to find a partner after divorce or the loss of a partner. Recent
coverage of Canadian mid-lifers online data has shown that the over-50s segment is the
fastest-growing group of subscribers for internet dating, and the sector has recently witnessed a
40 per cent leap in popularity.
Canadas mid-lifers are also taking to the internet and social media in other important ways.
Canada mid-lifers look to the internet for input and opinions but do not necessarily provide
theirs. A recent Consumer Connection Study found that, Only 2.5% [of people aged 50 to 65]
post a rating or review once a week. 30% of people aged 50 to 65 source info on products and
services once a week, the CCS study says, but just 4% report making an online purchase.
Advertisers are beginning to recognise the importance of reaching out to Canadas mid-lifers
online. Roughly 55% of Canadas mid-lifers have incomes of more than C$60,000. An article
from Strategyonline.ca notes that when it comes to tech, the key to continued boomer adoption
rests less on how much it will cost, and more on how easy it is to use. We need to remember
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that if it isnt intuitive, boomers simply wont embrace it, and furthermore, Boomers want the
cool new toys (and unlike youth, can actually afford them). A considerable portion of Canadas
boomer population is made up of mid-lifers. While Canadian mid-lifers are not quite as
connected as younger generations, recent research shows that the gap is narrowing.
Mid-lifers drive the automotive industry
The age of people who buy new cars is changing. A recent article notes, Sales of cars and
trucks in Canada jumped in 2013 with the 55- to 64-year-old age group replacing 35- to 44-yearolds as the demographic most likely to buy a new car. Motor vehicles have been one of the
most consistent and strongest performing sectors in the Canadian economy. Since 2004 the
value of the motor vehicle and parts dealers industry has grown by 35%, and since the economy
began recovering in 2010 the industry has grown by nearly 17%. The annual value for the motor
vehicle and parts dealers industry was C$111 billion in 2013. For the first three months of 2014,
auto sales were up by nearly 1%. Canadian consumers share a lot in common with their
American counterparts, and automobiles are one area where the differences are fairly
pronounced. Most Canadians face harsh winters that put stresses on their cars and demand
performance in snow, ice and rain. Canadians also have a tendency to equip cars with fourwheel or all-wheel drive and to add features such as heated windshield wipers and mirrors. Midlifers in the car market prioritise safety, reliability and comfort. Women are key mid-life buyers of
new vehicles and a recent article notes that cars represent freedom for mid-life women. The
higher concentrations of wealth among Canadas mid-lifers mean that they also have a greater
appetite for luxury vehicles. Large luxury sedans have been on the decline in Canada but midsize SUVs have been very successful for luxury brands. Across all age groups Canadian
consumers prioritise fuel economy more than Americans do. The Honda CR-V, Ford Escape
and Toyota RAV4 were among the top 10 vehicles in the United States and in Canada.
However, research from DesRosiers Automotive Consultancy in Canada shows that where
larger SUVs such as the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee made the US light truck top
10, smaller SUVs such as the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Dodge Journey nudged out
Explorers and their ilk in Canada.
Late-lifers In 2000 the late-lifer population constituted roughly only 16% of the total Canadian
population, at 5.105 million. The size of the late-lifer population has grown consistently, reaching
5.751 million in 2005 and 7.012 million in 2011. The growth in the late-lifer population between
2000 and 2011 represents a 37% increase. In 2012 the late-lifer population group grew to 7.229
million and continued to grow, reaching 7.460 million people in 2013. This population group is
expected to continue growing up to 2016, where it is expected to reach 8.225 million people and
represent 22% of the total Canadian population. There are geographic patterns with respect to
where late-lifers reside. The lowest numbers of late-lifers, as a percentage of provincial
population, are in northern Canada. Based on the census information for 2011, which defines
late-lifers as 65 or older, the province with the lowest percentage of late-life residents is
Nunavut, which has 3.3% of its population that are late-life persons. Northwest Territories and
the Yukon trail with 5.8% and 9.1%, respectively. The top three provinces in terms of their
percentage of the population that is 65 or older are Newfoundland and Labrador with 16.6%,
Prince Edward Island with 16.4% and Nova Scotia with 17.2%. While Quebec and Ontario have
only the fifth and ninth largest populations respectively as a percentage of total provincial
population, thanks to their size they are nevertheless home to a large number of late-lifers.
Quebec is home to 1,304,870 residents who are older than 65 and Ontario is home to
1,971,861. There are also pockets of high percentages of late-lifers throughout Canada, with
certain census agglomerations being notable for their high percentages of late-lifers. For the
proportion of the population aged 65 and over in metropolitan areas, the top five areas were
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Peterborough (ON), Trois-Rivres (QE), Kelowna (BC), Saint Catherine-Niagara (ON), and
Victoria (BC).
New approaches to retirement The effect of the 2008 global financial crisis continues to affect
peoples personal finances. This is true with late-lifers as well. While late-lifers remain relatively
less indebted than any other adult demographic, their indebtedness has nevertheless risen from
$1.99 per $100 of assets in 1999 to $3.50 per $100 of assets in 2012, and 59% of Canadian
retirees are indebted. As a result, late-lifers are having to find different ways to finance their
retirement.
The average retirement age stayed fairly constant through the first decade of the 2000s,
hovering at around 61 years old at retirement on average for all sectors of employment.
However, there was a marked increase following the global financial crisis in 2008 and the
average retirement age has now increased to 63 years old. Over 25% of Canadians see
themselves staying in the workforce full-time beyond 65. Of those who plan on working past 65
years old, 65% state that they are working because they have to, while 35% say that they will
continue working because they want to. Recovering home values following the 2008 financial
crisis are giving confidence to homeowners approaching retirement. As a result, 24% of
Canadians now see their home as their primary source of income during retirement.
Canadian late-lifers look to retire abroad Though driven in part by financial constraints, a
multitude of factors play into Canadians deciding increasingly to retire abroad. Canadian
snowbirds who spend a portion of the year in Florida, Arizona or California have been a longstanding phenomenon. What defines the new trend in retirement destinations is the
geographical variety. Canadians are looking beyond the United States to destinations
throughout the world. Mexico has been a popular destination for Canadians looking to save
some money with their move abroad, while also enjoying a warmer climate, and a distinctly
foreign destination. Beyond Mexico, Canadian retirees have been increasingly looking further
destinations such as Panama, Ecuador, Malaysia, Indonesia and various locations throughout
the Caribbean.
Table 1
Consumer Segmentation and Population Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2016
Babies/infants (aged 02) ('000)

Kids (aged 3-8) ('000)
Tweens (aged 9-12) ('000)
Teens (aged 13-17) ('000)
Young adults (aged 1829) ('000)
Middle youth (aged 3044) ('000)
Mid-lifers (aged 45-59)
('000)
Later-lifers (aged 60+)
('000)
Population: National
estimates at January
1st ('000)
- Population aged 0-14:
January 1st ('000)
- Population aged 1564: January 1st ('000)
- Population aged 65+:
January 1st ('000)
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
1,036
1,024
1,160
1,173
1,188
1,226
2,370
1,657
2,075
4,984
2,151
1,646
2,185
5,251
2,223
1,480
2,061
5,739
2,268
1,477
2,022
5,769
2,308
1,482
1,986
5,792
2,427
1,543
1,927
5,763
7,543
7,289
7,035
7,089
7,157
7,360
5,916
6,949
7,773
7,808
7,820
7,785
5,105
5,751
7,012
7,229
7,460
8,225
30,686
32,245
34,483
34,835
35,193
36,257
5,884
5,699
5,645
5,685
5,741
5,952
20,950
22,327
23,864
23,981
24,092
24,375
3,852
4,220
4,973
5,169
5,360
5,929
12
- Male population:
January 1st ('000)
- Female population:
January 1st ('000)
- Urban population ('000)
- Rural population ('000)
Birth rates (per '000
population)
Death rates (per '000
population)
Marriage rates (per
'000 population)
Divorce rates (per '000
population)
Source:
Chart 1
Source:
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15,194
15,980
17,104
17,280
17,459
17,988
15,492
16,265
17,379
17,555
17,734
18,268
24,388
6,297
10.6
25,836
6,410
10.7
27,835
6,648
11.3
28,173
6,663
11.3
28,512
6,681
11.3
29,529
6,728
11.3
7.1
7.0
7.4
7.4
7.4
7.5
5.1
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6
2.3
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
National statistics, Euromonitor International
Population Aged 15-64 Compared with Old-Age Dependency Ratio 20002020
HOUSING AND HOUSEHOLDS

Home Ownership
Home ownership has always been something to which the majority of Canadians aspired. The
number of households in Canada grew by nearly 20% between 2000 and 2013, rising from
roughly 11.4 million households in 2000 to 13.6 million in 2013. This growth in households was
driven largely by urban households, as the growth rate over the same period for rural household
was only 15%. The number of homeowners has increased consistently during the 2000 to 2013
period, although all of that growth is driven by homeowners with mortgages. Between 2000 and
2013 the number of households without a mortgage fell by 10%, although it is expected to
increase from 4 million in 2013 to 4.1 million in 2016. While the number of households without a
mortgage fell between 2000 and 2013, the number of households with a mortgage increased
considerably. In 2000 the number of households without a mortgage was approximately 3
million, and by 2013 that number had reached 5.6 million households, representing an 85%
increase. Furthermore, this number is expected to increase by 2016, where it will reach 5.99
13
million households. Throughout the same period, the number of renters has stayed fairly
constant, growing by only 3% between 2000 and 2013. Canadas Atlantic provinces
(Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), which
are home to the highest percentages of mid-lifers, possess Canadas highest home ownership
rates. Based on the 2011 National Household Survey, Newfoundland and Labrador ranked the
highest at 77.5%. Nunavut has Canadas lowest home ownership at 21%. Increases in home
values also varied by region. Regina, Saskatchewan, for instance, is a top-performing city in
Canada with respect to its GDP growth. The city is the capital of a region that is seen as the
breadbasket of Canada, as well as being rich in oil and gas, and potash, among other
resources. The citys growth and economic performance has driven the housing market.
According to research from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Regina
experienced an 8.5% increase in home values in 2012, followed by a 3.6% increase in 2013.
The expected increase over 2014 is 2.6%, which will bring average resale values to C$320,000.
Other regions of high growth in the value of homes, far exceeding inflation, were HamiltonBurlington (8%) and Toronto (7%). The only areas that saw declines in the housing market were
Greater Vancouver (-6.4%), Victoria (-2.8%) and Saint John (-1.4%). Canadas shifting
demographics affect the kinds of homes that Canadians are buying. Since 1961 the average
size of the Canadian family has dropped from 3.9 to 2.9. Couples with children used to account
for 50% of home ownership in 1971, but in 2011 that figure was down to 29%. Single-detached
homes are the most common type of dwelling that Canadians own, accounting for 55% of the
total dwellings in Canada, and 90% of single-detached homes are owner-occupied in Canada.
Recent research shows that, owner-occupied apartment dwellings, most of which are
condominiums, are projected to show the fastest pace of growth of all dwelling categories to
2036, but single-detached houses are expected to remain the most common type of dwelling.
While the number of Canadians living in single-detached homes has crept upwards, the trend
seems to be slowing. In 2003 the number of new single-detached homes that started
construction was 123,227, while in 2012 that number had fallen to 83,657.
Tapping into smaller families
The average Canadian family size has fallen from 3.9 persons in 1961 to 2.9 persons in 2013.
The decrease in the size of households is being driven by lower fertility rates, as well as the fact
that seniors are living longer and living in their own dwellings. This is coupled with a continued
tendency to move to Canadas largest census metropolitan areas in search of better
employment opportunities and those large metropolitan areas often host the highest real estate
prices. Smaller family sizes and increasing pressure in high price, urban real estate is resulting
in a shift in the kinds of dwellings that are seeing the greatest growth. The Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation has found that, although all categories of households are projected to
experience slower growth over the projection period [up to 2036], non-family households, the
vast majority of which are households comprising one person, are expected to show the
strongest pace of growth. Non-family households are less inclined to purchase single-detached
homes. When looking at households comprising one person, roughly 32% live in a singledetached home, while 50% live in high-rise apartments and low-rise apartments. For two-ormore-person, non-family households, ownership of single-detached homes is only slightly higher
at 34%, while 44% live in high-rise apartments and low-rise apartments; the difference between
this group and one-person households is that slightly more two-or-more non-family households
live in duplexes. Partially due to the fact that non-family households have been occupying, and
will continue to occupy, an increasingly large share of total home ownership, there has been a
large increase in owner-occupied condominiums in Canada. In 1981 the number of owneroccupied condominiums was 171,000 and by 2011 that number had reached 1,154,000. Within
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the condominiums segment, the non-family group have the highest rates of living in high-rise
apartments and low-rise apartments.
The demand for condominiums has been concentrated in Toronto and Vancouver, which
taken together account for 51% of all new condominium projects. In contrast to single-detached
houses, construction starts continue to grow in the condominium segment: in 2001 the number
of condominium construction projects that were started with for owner-occupancy was 49,212,
and in 2012 that number reached 77,693. Canadas ageing population means that most of
Canadas population growth is coming from immigration. This means that a slight tapering in
household growth is to be expected. Projections from Canadas statistical agency provide low,
medium and high-growth projections. When taking the medium growth projection, non-family
households are expected to continue growing at 1.5%, while family households will grow by
0.9%. Consequently, one-person households will be the largest type of household by the 2020s.
Canadas late-life population provides new housing perspectives
By starting their families later, Canadas young adults and middle youth are able to purchase
condominiums for themselves or for themselves and their partner. This means that there is less
immediate demand for a larger home to accommodate a larger family. However, Canadas latelife population is an important factor in driving condominium demand. As people continue to live
longer, more and more late-lifers will spend greater parts of their late-life as empty-nesters,
which is to say without children sharing the same dwelling. Between 1996 and 2011, 50% of the
condominium growth among owner-occupiers came from people aged 55 years and older.
Living longer also entails new perspectives in Canadas collective living dwellings for late-life
Canadians. The majority of Canadians who opt for collective living are over 75 years old. Future
growth in collective living will be driven by continued gains in life expectancy. The current life
expectancy for men is 84 years old, while it is 87 for women. Men who are 60 years old today
have a life expectancy of 85.3 years, while 60-year-old women today enjoy life expectancy of
87.9 years. According to Statistics Canadas report Population Projections for Canada,
Provinces and Territories 2009 to 2036, the size of Canadas retired population is expected to
double over the next 25 years, with the concentration of Canadians 85 years or older being
particularly high.
Household Profiles The types of homes that Canadians are living in are changing. Detached
homes still represent the majority of households in terms of the type of dwelilng. In 2013 roughly
83% of households were detached homes. Nevertheless, the fastest-growing types of dwellings
are semi-detached and terraced, and apartments. Between 2000 and 2013 the number of semidetached and terraced dwellings grew from 1.2 million to 1.5 million, and apartments grew from
3.5 million to 4.7 million over the same period. Growth for semi-detached and terraced dwellings
is expected to continue growing up to 2016, when it will reach 1.6 million, while for apartments
the total number in 2016 will be 4.9 million. The composition of homes is also shifting. The
household type that underwent the largest increase between 2000 and 2013 was one-person
households. During that period, its growth was unabated and grew a total of 30%, growing from
2.9 million to 3.8 million, and this growth will continue up to 2016, when the total number will
reach 3.9 million households. Two-person households still represent the majority and the
number of two-person households also grew considerably during the 2000 to 2013 period. In
2000 the number of two-person households was 3.7 million and by 2013 there were 4.7 million
two-person households. The number of two-person households is expected to reach 4.9 million
in 2016. Meanwhile, growth has been more modest across other types of households, while
households of six or more people are shrinking, with there being 354,000 households with six or
more people in 2000 and only 343,000 in 2013. Another component of the shifting composition
of Canadian homes is the sex of the head of the household. Between 2000 and 2013 the
number of households with female heads of household grew 38%, from 4 million to 5.6 million.
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During that same time period the number of households with male heads of household grew by
only 10%, from 7.3 million to 8 million. The growth of households with female heads of
household is expected to continue to be strong, reaching 5.9 million in 2016, while those
households with men at the head will reach 8.2 million.
There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of households that are either singleperson households or couples without children. Single-person households grew 29% between
2000 and 2013, from 2.9 million to 3.98million. During that same time the number of households
that were couples without children grew 29%, from 3.1 million to 4 million. In 2011 couples
without children surpassed couples with children as the largest household type. The size of
Canadian families is a reflection of Canadian fertility rates. Canadas fertility rates have been
below replacement levels, which are defined as 2.1 children per family, for over 30 years. In
addition to smaller families, Canadians are also starting their families later; the 30 to 34 age
group is now the most fertile age group, whereas women aged 25 to 29 had previously been the
most fertile group in Canada. Babies and infants, kids and tweens are the only demographic
groups in Canada that are experiencing any growth in their size and they are expected to
continue growing up to 2016. This growth in Canadas youngest populations is correlated to
Canadas increased emphasis on immigration. Canadas liberal immigration policies have
resulted in Canada becoming home to the largest foreign population among G8 countries, as a
proportion of its total population. Canadas emphasis on immigration began in the late 1980s
and the country has welcomed large numbers of immigrants ever since. The number of
immigrants that came to Canada in 2000 was 227,456 and in 2012 that number hit 257,887,
which represented 0.7% of the total Canadian population. Canadas immigration policy and
immigrant population are an important buffer against population decline. Between 2009 and
2011, median Canadian household incomes grew by over 8%, from C$66,550 to C$72,240. The
three provinces with the largest growth were Newfoundland and Labrador (22%), Saskatchewan
(19%) and Nunavut (16%), while the provinces with the lowest growth were British Columbia
(5%), Ontario (6%) and Alberta (8%). This is further reflected by the fact that the number of
households is shrinking at every salary division below C$55,000, while the number of
Canadians making more than C$55,000 is increasing at every salary division. Nevertheless, the
largest number household salary bracket was C$35,001 to C$55,000, with 2.8 million Canadian
households in that range. With respect to indebtedness, recent research from TD Bank notes,
Despite the focus on the high absolute level of household indebtedness, it is apparent that
households in Canada have shifted towards greater thrift. The conventional measure of the
savings rate is now at its highest point, outside of a recession, in 16 years.
Canadas immigrant population key to household growth, but important changes underway
More than ever, Canadas immigration policy is the key driver for household growth. Research
from the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation has found that, Since immigration is the
main driver of population growth, and since population change is in turn the main source of
household growth, each household projection scenario is driven primarily by the immigration
assumptions embodied in the underlying population scenario. In previous decades immigration
was tied to increases in the percentage of people living with low incomes in Canada. That has
changed, however, and recent research from Statistics Canada attests to that, stating,
Immigration was associated with 7% of the decline in the aggregate low-income rate in the
2000s, but accounted for all the increase between 1980 and 2000. While immigration has been
an important part of Canadas changing household profiles, and has also been an important
factor in bolstering the real estate market, there are nonetheless important changes underway.
Namely, in early 2014 the Canadian government decided to do away with the Immigrant
Investor Program. The Immigrant Investor Program was a 25-year-old scheme that offered visas
to foreign investors with a minimum net worth C$1.6 million and willingness to lend C$800,000
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to the Canadian government for a five-year period. By ending the Immigrant Investor Program,
the Canadian government will clear its backlog by removing 59,000 applications that are
currently waiting. The end of the programme also means the end of important foreign investor
dollars in Canadas real estate market. Cities like Vancouver, which previously welcomed large
numbers of investors from the Chinese mainland will suffer as a result, and an article from the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation notes, "Most of the buying is coming from Chinese
immigrants who are wealthy, so if we make it difficult for them to come into this country, we have
killed 80 to 90 per cent of the buying in West Vancouver.
Running Costs
Each year HydroQuebec releases figures that show average monthly electricity bills for 12
representative cities across Canada. Average monthly residential electricity bills jumped from
C$107.57 in 2010 to C$121.46 in 2011. Beginning in 2011, average residential electricity bills
have stabilised somewhat: in 2012 average monthly bills across Canada were C$118.47 and in
2013 that figure was C$120.68. Geographically, electricity costs vary greatly. Montreal,
Vancouver and Winnipeg consistently have the lowest average monthly electricity costs at
C$68.66, C$89.07 and C$76.25, respectively, during 2013. The three cities with the highest
costs for electricity are Halifax, Charlottetown and Calgary with average monthly electricity costs
at C$154.46, C$148.67 and C$148.11, respectively. Heating homes is also a critical part of life
in Canada, where winters can be harsh. For many areas in Canada, the winter of 2013/2014
was one of the coldest winters in the last 20 years. Meeting heating needs in Canada means
consuming larger amounts of natural gas on top of regular electricity consumption. Enbridge
supplies natural gas to 100 communities throughout Canada and notes that households use
60% of their gas during the winter in order to stay warm. During severe winters like that of
2013/2014, demand for natural gas increases dramatically. Environment Canada, the main
statistical agency for water consumption figures, has not provided per capita water consumption
figures since 2009. However, based on those figures, water consumption has been going down
on a per capita basis throughout Canada. In 1991 per capita residential water use was 342 litres
per day, but as of 2009 the residential per capita water use was 274 litres per day. The
decrease in water consumption over time has occurred in conjunction with greater public
awareness for conservation, as well as increasing numbers of water meters on dwellings. In
1991 the percentage of households with water meters was 52%, whereas by 2009 that number
had reached 72%. Pricing structures are at the discretion of communities, although the price for
water is generally going up throughout the country. Property tax rates vary across provinces and
are levied based on property value assessments. A report prepared by the Altus group for Real
Property Association of Canada notes that for 2013, Residential tax rates have also declined
over the past ten years at an even faster rate than those of commercial tax rates. Winnipeg saw
the largest jump in property tax rates in 2013; in 2012 it was C$12.73 per C$1,000 of
assessment and in 2013 and it rose to C$14.10, amounting to a nearly 11% increase. The
second largest property tax increases came from Montreal, where the property tax rose from
C$8.19 to C$8.69, which represents a 6% increase. The remaining cities saw only modest
increases and in many cases decreases in the residential property tax rate. For instance,
Vancouvers tax rate fell from C$4.05 in 2012 to C$3.79 in 2013, and in Toronto the tax rate fell
from C$7.71 in 2012 to C$7.46 in 2013 per C$1,000 of assessment.
Net zero housing Net zero housing meets Canadians desire to be more environmentally
conscious, while at the same time significantly reducing running costs. This is not the solution
for Canadians who are looking for a weekend project to improve energy efficiency, but it is
increasingly a way for environmentally conscious Canadians to limit their energy consumption
and reduce their energy bills. Furthermore, Canadian companies are helping to bring down
costs to make net zero housing which allows Canadians to partake in supporting Canadian
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businesses, which is a practice that is important for Canadian consumers. Innovation will keep
driving down prices, making net zero homes a reality for more Canadian homebuyers looking to
lessen their environmental effect and reduce running costs. A recent Huffington Post Canada
article notes, We're not dealing with Moore's Law, but the pace of innovation in the net-zero
home world just in the past six years has been breath-taking. As more builders and customers
embrace the idea of a slightly more expensive home for far lower operating costs, the net-zero
idea will only pick up more and more steam.
On-the-fly control Greater technological integration is a common theme for the Canadian
consumer right now. This is true when it comes to managing the running costs of their homes as
well. The Toronto-based company Wattsly is an example of the kinds of applications that
consumers will be using. The application recently won an award and was described on the
Canadian Energy Efficiency Association blog as, a personalized energy butler that records daily
energy-related activities and then analyzes the info allowing users to decide how to shift some
activities to off-peak hours. The Wattsly app also gives consumers access to energy efficient
products and coupons.
Energy companies are foreseeing increased demand from consumers to tap into cost savings
through managing their energy usage by smartphone. Meridian Energy is integrating
smartphone control into its services for Canadian consumers, stating, Each time you program
your thermostat with an inefficient temperature, the smartphone app reminds you of the
recommended energy efficient temperature and tells you approximately how much it could cost
you, per year, to keep your house at an inefficient temperature.
Table 2
Housing and Households Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Total number of
households ('000)
- Urban ('000)
- Rural ('000)
Households by tenure
- Home owner ('000)
-- Home owner without
mortgage ('000)
-- Home owner with
mortgage ('000)
- Rented ('000)
Households by type of
dwelling
- House ('000)
-- Detached ('000)
-- Semi-detached and
terraced ('000)
- Apartment ('000)
- Other ('000)
Households by number of
persons
- 1 ('000)
- 2 ('000)
- 3 ('000)
- 4 ('000)
- 5 ('000)
- 6+ ('000)
Households by number of
rooms
- 1 ('000)
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
11,387
12,260
13,321
13,479
13,639
14,105
9,203
2,184
9,890
2,371
10,812
2,509
10,960
2,519
11,108
2,530
11,547
2,558
7,559
4,523
8,172
3,855
9,452
4,092
9,557
4,069
9,679
4,064
10,125
4,134
3,036
4,317
5,360
5,488
5,615
5,991
3,785
4,039
3,818
3,872
3,909
3,930
7,689
6,506
1,183
8,253
6,925
1,328
8,789
7,320
1,469
8,872
7,379
1,493
8,957
7,440
1,517
9,206
7,620
1,585
3,535
163
3,848
159
4,348
184
4,421
186
4,493
189
4,703
196
2,900
3,688
1,860
1,841
744
354
3,259
4,095
1,955
1,863
742
346
3,653
4,560
2,096
1,911
758
343
3,712
4,629
2,117
1,919
760
343
3,769
4,697
2,138
1,927
763
343
3,936
4,895
2,202
1,955
773
344
119
113
104
103
102
98
18
- 2 ('000)
- 3 ('000)
- 4 ('000)
- 5+ ('000)
Households by sex of
head of household
- Male ('000)
- Female ('000)
Households by type
- Single person ('000)
- Couple without
children ('000)
- Couple with children
('000)
- Single-parent family
('000)
- Other ('000)
Housing stock ('000)
Housing completions
('000)
House price index (2010
= 100)
Pet population (animals
per household)
Ownership of household
durables by type
- Dishwasher (% of
households)
- Freezer (% of
households)
- Microwave oven (% of
households)
- Refrigerator (% of
households)
- Telephone (% of
households)
- Tumble drier (% of
households)
- Vacuum cleaner (% of
households)
- Washing machine (% of
households)
Average household
expenditure
on running costs (C$ per
household, at constant
prices)
- Maintenance and
repair of dwellings
- Water and miscellaneous
domestic services
- Electricity, gas and
other fuels
- Hardware and DIY
goods
- Household and
domestic services
Source:
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244
955
1,607
8,461
204
1,056
1,756
9,131
165
1,180
1,935
9,937
162
1,198
1,961
10,055
160
1,216
1,987
10,173
160
1,268
2,063
10,516
7,340
4,048
7,636
4,624
7,959
5,361
8,002
5,478
8,044
5,594
8,170
5,935
2,900
3,151
3,259
3,539
3,653
3,931
3,712
3,986
3,769
4,041
3,936
4,196
3,539
3,590
3,773
3,805
3,839
3,944
775
756
776
781
786
804
1,022
11,412
146
1,117
12,286
211
1,187
13,339
176
1,195
13,493
180
1,203
13,650
185
1,224
14,144
193
50.2
71.9
105.0
110.0
112.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
51.2
57.2
61.6
62.1
62.5
63.5
57.9
56.3
54.2
54.2
54.2
54.1
91.0
94.1
95.8
95.9
96.0
96.1
99.8
99.7
99.8
99.9
99.9
99.9
97.7
94.4
87.7
87.2
86.8
85.9
78.5
80.4
81.6
81.8
82.0
82.4
96.3
97.0
97.5
97.6
97.7
97.9
80.9
82.2
81.6
81.8
81.9
82.2
136.4
161.7
203.4
209.5
216.3
240.3
376.6
411.5
541.1
556.2
575.0
640.0
2,192.1
2,350.0
2,082.2
2,097.0
2,110.8
2,152.3
621.7
696.9
692.6
691.9
695.0
722.5
1,041.4
1,060.6
1,086.8
1,090.7
1,099.3
1,130.8
19
Chart 2
Source:
Number of Households by Disposable Income Bracket 2005, 2010, 2016
MONEY AND SAVINGS

Attitudes Towards Payment Methods
Canada has successfully increased its number of non-cash payment instruments. Canadian
consumers use cards extensively and have driven increases in the number and value of
transactions across ATM cards, debit cards, credit cards and charge cards. For instance, in
2000 there were 73.7 million ATM cards in circulation, and in 2013 that number had reached
125.2 million. While the number of ATM cards has increased dramatically, there has been a
notable shift in how much Canadians are spending on those cards. In 2000 Canadians spent
C$74.816 million, while in 2013 that figure had fallen to C$37.758 million. In contrast, the
number of debit and credit cards in circulation remains smaller than the number of ATM cards,
but those two forms of payment account for the highest percentages of expenditure in Canada.
For debit cards, there were 29.2 million cards in circulation in 2000; that number has climbed
to 46.1 million in 2013 and is expected to rise to 49 million in 2016. Debit cards have nearly
doubled in terms of the number in circulation, and also in terms of the value of transactions
conducted with them. In 2000 transactions on debit cards were C$109,614 million and by 2013
that figure had reached C$210.4 million and is expected to continue to climb to C$229.641 in
2016. The use of cash has been steadily decreasing in Canada as consumers prefer the ease of
use provided by card forms of payment. In 2000 cash transactions amounted to C$131,391
million and decreased by 24% by 2005 to C$100,310 million. Cash payments fell by 4%
between 2012 and 2013, going from C$81.475 million to C$78,130 million, and are expected to
decrease by an additional 13% by 2016, reaching C$68,044. Although figures are not yet
available for 2012 and 2013, according to the Canadian Payments Association, cash accounted
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for 46% of retail transactions in 2011. Cash also plays an important role in smaller transactions,
meaning that while the total value of cash transactions is roughly 10%, cash still accounts for
42% of transactions by volume. Cheques have been losing favour with consumers and between
2008 and 2011 consumers were using 3% fewer cheques in terms of value per year. Recent
research by MasterCard Canada shows Canadian consumers moving away from cash. Their
research examined 33 developed and developing countries in order to see which countries use
the least cash, and identify which countries are ready to move to a cashless economy. Given
that cash constitutes less than 10% of total consumer payments in Canada, Canada ranks third
globally behind Belgium and France among the most cashless economies. Canadas move to
fewer and fewer cash payments has been particularly rapid among mature developed
economies and as a result Canada ranks as the most ready country to move to an entirely cashfree system. Given the volume and value of credit card transactions, it is clear that credit cards
are an important form of payment for Canadians. Since 2011 credit cards have constituted
slightly more than 50% of the total value of transactions in Canada. Credit cards are expected to
represent 54% of the value of transactions in Canada by 2016. The Canadians Bankers
Association notes that, 70% of Canadians pay their credit card balance in full each month,
which means that they pay nothing in interest, and that of the remainder of Canadians who do
have to make monthly interest payments, there are over 30 credit cards available to Canadians
that have an interest rate under 13%. The Canadian Bankers Association also provides
accurate figures on ATM usage. There are four common uses that Canadians use ATMs for:
withdrawals, deposits, bill payment and transfers. In Canada, the yearly value of transactions
conducted for all four of the aforementioned uses has been coming down consistently. In 2005
total cash withdrawals throughout Canada were C$707,179,399 and by 2012 that number
reached C$587,877,790, which represents a 16% decrease. Over the same period, deposits at
ATMs decreased from C$264,349,364 in 2005 to C$200,575,910 in 2012. The largest decrease
came from ATM transfers, which fell nearly 37% between 2005 and 2012, from C$47,188,297 in
2005 down to C$29,942,055 in 2012. Interac is a popular email transfer and payment available
through all major Canadian banks. It is primarily used to transfer money between private parties
rather than to make retail purchases, for instance. According to the Canadian Payment
Association, in 2011 there were 24 million E-Wallet/P2P transactions (Interac), worth nearly
C$10 billion, up from about C$3 billion in 2008. This increase represents a 233% increase in
the use of e-wallet transactions over the three-year period. Canadians use Interac primarily to
share money between friends and family. It also serves a role previously occup
Savings
Between 2000 and 2005 savings in Canada dropped dramatically, falling over 50%. In 2000
total annual savings were at C$33,073 million, but by 2005 they fell to C$15,303 million. Since
that time, savings have made a major rebound, reaching C$60,457 million in 2013. Gains in
savings are expected to continue in a similar fashion up to 2016, where savings are expected to
reach C$71,706 million. The savings ratio has followed a similar trajectory to that of annual
savings more generally. The savings ratio in 2000 was 4.2, and in 2005 the ratio fell to 1.8, but
registered 5.6 in 2013. According to an August 2013 report by TD Bank, The conventional
measure of the savings rate is now at its highest point, outside of a recession, in 16 years. By
2016 the ratio is expected to reach 6.1. According to research from the Bank of Montreal (BMO),
Canadians saved an average of C$8,764 in 2013 and Canadians hope to save an average of
C$9,635 in 2014, which represents a 10% increase. Furthermore, their research finds that more
Canadians are saving. In 2012 28% of Canadians did not accumulate any savings during the
year, and in 2013 that figure was only 17%. BMO also found many trends about why people are
not able to save, and the vehicles for savings that those who can save tend to use. For people
who are unable to meet their savings goals, the most common obstacle is insufficient income,
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which represents 69% of those who cannot meet their savings goals. Some 67% did not save
due to high expenses and 50% because of constraints due to managing debt. The most
common way of saving is by using a chequeing account, which is the way that 66% of
Canadians save. The second most popular way to save is by using a Registered Retirement
Savings Plan (RRSP), which is how 55% of Canadians save. Canadians save for a variety
reasons. The top reason according to the Bank of Montreals 2013 research is saving for a
holiday, for which 48% of Canadians surveyed in 2013 were saving. Building a rainy day fund
was the second response and represented 43% of those surveyed. The third goal for savings
was building retirement savings, for which 39% of Canadians were saving. Almost all Canadians
adults have access to a bank account and the estimates of unbanked Canadians are very low.
The most recent accurate count of Canadas unbanked population comes from the Financial
Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). According to FCAC, in 2011 the number of unbanked
Canadians was around 1%, although the rate is, disproportionately higher among Aboriginal
Canadians, refugees and low-income individuals.
Loans and Mortgages

Between 2000 and 2011, the outstanding balance of consumer credit in Canada nearly
doubled, jumping from C$246,285 million to C$468,814 million. Since 2011, consumer debt has
seen more modest year-on-year increases and by 2013 reached C$494,315 million. Consumer
credit is expected to continue to grow modestly up to 2016, when it will reach C$532,787 million.
As the outstanding balance of consumer credit has gone up, the annual lending rate has been
consistently decreasing. In 2000 the annual lending rate was 7.3%, but this figure dropped to
4.4% in 2005. Since 2011 the annual lending rate has held at a steady 3% every year. There
are notable regional trends concerning consumer debt. According to TransUnion, a credit
reporting agency, the majority of provinces growth in consumer debt corresponds to national
averages, which is to say that there has been growth in consumer debt in the last five quarters,
but it has been modest and incremental. However, Vancouver is a major outlier and the city has
experienced a 7% increase in the last five quarters for the balance of debt per person. In Q4
2012, the balance per person was C$38,357 and by Q4 2013 it had reached C$41,077.
Although Vancouver has experienced increases in consumer debt, Vancouver also enjoys one
of the lower unemployment rates in the country. Furthermore, TransUnion found that British
Columbia as a whole is ranked third for having the lowest levels of delinquency on credit cards,
and second for automobile debt, although British Columbia does have a relatively high rate of
delinquency on lines of credit. Mortgages represent the largest share of total debt in Canada,
and according to Statistics Canada, mortgages account for 77% of total debt owed by
Canadians. The value of outstanding mortgages rose 34% from C$637,660 million in 2000 to
C$859,496 million in 2005, rising again 58% between 2005 and 2011 to reach C$1,358,934
million. The value of outstanding mortgages continues to rise, reaching C$1,474,792 million in
2013. This figure is expected to continue climbing into 2016, when the expected value of
outstanding mortgages will reach C$1,709,347 million, representing a 16% rise from current
levels.
Concerning individual households, Statistics Canada found that, the median value of
mortgages on principal residences was C$145,000 in 2012, up 66.5% from 1999 and 41.6%
from 2005. When looking at other real estate, the median value of the debt was C$140,000 in
2012, up 78.1% from 1999 and 36.7% from 2005. Their findings also showed that the 33.8% of
family units have a mortgage on a principal residence, a number that has been largely
unchanged over the last 13 years. However, the number of family units that held mortgages on
other real estate has increased, reaching 6.4%, whereas that figure was 4.6% in 1999. Banks
and borrowers in Canada are renowned for being prudent. Nevertheless, after the financial crisis
of 2008, Canadian lenders have enacted new rules, which may potentially restrict access to
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people who may have previously been eligible. The Canadian Bankers Association notes that,
[new] rules affect home buyers with less than a 20 per cent down payment and these changes
will impact many first-time home buyers in Canada. Key take away points from the new
regulations are fourfold, according to the Canadian Bankers Association. First, the maximum
amortisation period was previously 40 years but has now been reduced to 25. Secondly, home
buyers must be able to provide a down payment of at least 5%, where before no down payment
was required. Additionally, the down payment must be at least 20% now for non-owner occupied
properties. Thirdly, Canadians could previously borrow up to 95% of the value of their homes
when refinancing; that number has now dropped to 80%. Lastly, the maximum gross debt
service (GDS) ratio has been limited to 39% and the maximum total debt service (TDS) ratio has
been limited to 44%.
Consumers get a variety of mobile payments options Canadians have already been using less
and less cash. The newest developments in payment methods are now taking shape in Canada.
This is coming primarily in the form of new forms of mobile payments using smartphones. The
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) found in 2013 that, 68 per cent of Canadians
between ages 18-44 say they own a smartphone and 46 per cent of these owners say they are
interested in paying for everyday purchases using their smartphone. Payments from
smartphones will likely run on near field communication (NFC) technology. A 2013 report
compiled by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada notes that, at present, there are only a
few NFC-enabled smartphones available to Canadian consumers, but it is estimated that 80
percent of smartphones in Canada will be NFC-enabled by 2016. Banks are already catching
on, and CIBC and the Royal Bank of Canada are already releasing NFC applications for people
who bank with them. Desjardins is expected to also introduce a mobile payments option in 2014
and Canadian telecommunications company Rogers is working with MasterCard to provide an
e-wallet service to Canadians. TD Bank and ScotiaBank are also working on their offerings to
meet consumers increasing readiness and desire for paying by smartphone. To that end, it is
expected that the large banks will lead the charge. A recent article from the Canadian Financial
Post notes that there is a culture in Canada that trusts banks, above anything else in terms of
their security, financial stability, and viability, making banks prime candidates for leading mobile
payment methods as consumers may have concerns about fraud. The same Financial Post
article goes on to note that, Canadian consumers want [mobile payment] to be convenient,
safe, and ubiquitous, and that mobile payment adoption will rapid if the provider landscape is
less fragmented, which means that consumers are more willing to adopt from a when the
primary mobile payment provider is a bank where they are already a customer, rather than
having to research a variety of third-party mobile payment providers.
Credit union gain in importance for consumers in mortgage market A recent article in the
Globe and Mail posits that, in 2014, were virtually guaranteed to see new mortgage
restrictions. One casualty of those new rules could be the 30-year amortization. These
regulations would occur at a federal level, and Canadas credit unions are regulated at a
provincial level. This means that they would not necessarily have to follow the federal
regulations. In the same article, Andy Poprawa, CEO of Ontarios credit union regulator, is
quoted as saying, at this point and time there is no plan to do anything to change any of the
[mortgage] regulations... This means that consumers will most likely continue to be able to turn
to credit unions for this form of mortgage. Another feature that is making credit unions stand out
to consumers for mortgages is their low mortgage rates. Beginning in February 2014, credit
unions began offering five year fixed-rate mortgages at 2.99% and below, which is typically
lower than the rates from big lenders. In addition to the fact that credit unions are provincially
regulated, meaning that they can offer their own rates and amortisation periods to consumers,
mortgage expert Robert McLister anticipates the growing popularity of credit unions with
consumers due to the fact that credit unions will be, marketing more heavily, both online and to
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mortgage brokers. Well also see some big mergers this year as credit unions seek out
economies of scale.
Canadian households focus on saving
Canadians have an increasing appreciation for saving. A recent study from TD Bank found,
Over the past three quarters, the rate has risen back close to a 16-year high. This trend
suggests that households have been taking action to improve their longer-term ?nancial
prospects. TD Bank also found a number of factors that are pushing households to save. Part
of this is driven by demographics: Canadas largest population segment is in its 50s or nearing it
and retirement is becoming increasingly a reality. In order to prepare for retirement, those midlife Canadians are feeling a need to get more serious about accumulating savings. Furthermore,
until recently debt levels were at their highest levels. TD Bank believes that Canadian
households have entered spending and debt fatigue, which is in turn pushing an attitude
towards greater savings. The most important driving factor might be that asset values have
decreased or cooled in the wake of the recession. Previously, households had relied on the
increasing value of their homes to build savings. Now that households cannot be sure to count
on the value of their homes as a form of savings, they are looking to get more out of their
incomes.
Table 3
Money and Savings Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Financial cards in
circulation
- ATM cards (mn cards)
- Debit cards (mn cards)
- Credit cards (mn cards)
- Charge cards (mn cards)
Financial cards'
transactions
- ATM cards (C$ mn, at
constant prices)
- Debit cards (C$ mn,
at constant prices)
- Credit cards (C$ mn,
at constant prices)
- Charge cards (C$ mn,
at constant prices)
Cash transactions (C$
mn, at constant prices)
Other paper
transactions (C$ mn, at
constant prices)
Annual savings (C$ mn,
at constant prices)
Savings ratio (% of
disposable income)
Annual lending rate (%)
Consumer lending
- Consumer credit
(outstanding balance)
(C$ mn)
- Mortgages/housing
(outstanding balance)
(C$ mn)
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
73.7
29.2
44.6
4.2
89.1
34.9
54.2
5.0
114.0
40.6
73.6
5.2
121.5
44.8
77.6
5.3
125.2
46.1
80.0
5.3
132.2
49.0
85.2
5.6
74,816
56,555
43,148
40,559
37,758
30,658
109,614
158,609
189,722
203,327
210,422
229,641
187,763
249,012
380,762
406,310
415,676
461,419
13,026
15,420
17,691
18,038
18,526
20,628
131,391
100,310
84,079
81,475
78,130
68,044
118,109
102,632
65,402
61,217
55,487
35,321
33,073
15,303
46,786
53,876
60,457
71,706
4.2
1.8
4.6
5.1
5.6
6.1
7.3
4.4
3.0
3.0
3.0
246,285
358,944
468,814
482,887
494,315
532,787
637,660
859,496
1,358,934
1,425,062
1,474,792
1,709,347
24
Source:
Chart 3
Source:
Consumer Lending Compared with Savings and Savings Ratio 2000- 2016
EATING AND DRINKING

Eating Habits Consumer expenditure on food grew significantly between 2000 and 2011,
particularly during the period between 2005 and 2011 when consumer expenditure on food
increased by over 9%. In 2000, per capita consumer expenditure on food was equal to C$2,241,
and by 2011 that had increased to C$2,582 in real terms. Since 2011, year-on-year increases
have been less than 1%. As of 2013, per capita consumer food expenditure had reached
C$2,612 and was expected to continue growing to C$2,726, which marks a 4% increase over
current expenditure. Specific areas within food expenditure have experienced their own
respective increases and decreases. For instance, while per capita expenditure on oils and fats
have always represented a comparatively small portion of expenditure, it has still fallen by a
third. This is related to Canadian consumers increased emphasis on eating more healthily,
which in turn limits the amount of fats and oils they are consuming. Meat expenditure per capita
accounts for a greater value than oils and fats, but has also been experiencing a decrease,
although it is more modest. In 2000 meat consumer expenditure per capita was C$499, and fell
slightly to C$486 in 2013. This is expected to continue into 2016 when consumer expenditure
per capita on meat will reach C$485. While the decrease in meat consumption is linked to a
greater awareness of health issues around excessive meat consumption as well as alternative
diets such as vegetarianism, there are nevertheless, regional variations among Canadian
consumers. For instance, according to the Canadian Meat Council, Albertans consume roughly
13 grams more of protein from red meat per day than the Canadian average. Canadians have
also been spending more on fruit and vegetables. In 2000 they were spending only C$276 per
capita on fruit, reaching C$351 in 2013. By 2016 consumer expenditure per capita on fruit is
expected to reach C$373. As noted above, per capita expenditure on vegetables has been
consistently increasing since 2000. In 2000, per capita expenditure on vegetables was C$242,
and in 2013 it reached C$328. These increases are expected to continue into 2016 when per
capita expenditure on vegetables will climb to C$355, which represents an 8% increase over
2013 levels. While expenditure on fruit has been increasing, according to Statistics Canada, on
average, Canadians are consuming less fruit and vegetables. They found that in 2009 45% of
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25
Canadians ate fruit and vegetables five times per day and by 2012 that figure had fallen to 41%.
To that end, fewer men eat fruit and vegetables five times per day than women. In 2009 roughly
36% of men ate fruit and vegetables five times per day and in 2012 that figure was 34%, while
for women it was 51% in 2009 and 47% in 2012. As noted above, the Canadian average of
people who consumed fruit and vegetables five or more times per day decreased, and this trend
is true for each individual province, except Northwest Territories. In Northwest Territories the
percentage of people who ate fruit and vegetables five times a day in 2009 was 26%, while it
had reached 37% by 2012. In Northwest Territories the percentages have gone up for both men
and women. The three provinces with the lowest percentages of adults who eat fruit and
vegetables five times a day are Newfoundland and Labrador (25%), Nunavut (28%) and New
Brunswick (32%). While Canadians have been trying to focus on healthier eating, reducing oils
and fats, and meat, they still have an insatiable sweet tooth. Sugar and confectionery items
have been one of the areas that have experienced the largest increases with respect to per
capita expenditure in Canada. In 2000, per capita expenditure on sugar and confectionery items
were C$82 and in 2013 they reached C$130. By 2016 per capita consumer expenditure on
sugar and confectionery items are expected to reach C$140, which represents a nearly 8%
increase compared to current levels. Spending on sugar and confectionery is
Consumers look for ethnic foods
Canadas diverse population means that there are large numbers of consumers eager to use
ethnic grocers. Until recently, the demand for ethnic grocers was largely met by smaller
neighbourhood stores and medium-sized grocers, or through specific but limited sections in
large-format grocers. Canadian Grocer has observed that conventional grocers often
misunderstand the needs of Canadas various communities, stating, Conventional
supermarkets may try to cater to their ethnic neighbours by offering token numbers of ethnic
products and by marking special ethnic events such as Chinese Lunar New Year and Ramadan.
But it really isnt enough. Ethnic shoppers are savvy and extremely price-aware. As a result, the
only conventional Canadian supermarkets they tend to patronize in large numbers are the hard
discounters. PricewaterhouseCoopers notes that, the growth in food consumption is coming
almost exclusively from ethnic foods, and that as a consequence more of Canadas traditional
large-format grocers will be looking to acquire popular ethnic grocers to meet more consumer
demand for ethnic food and groceries. In 2009 Loblaws Company Limited, Canadas largest
food retailer, acquired T&T Supermarket, which focuses on Taiwanese, Chinese, and other
Asian foods. At that time there were 17 T&T supermarket locations; that has now increased to
22. Research from the Alberta Department of Agriculture and Rural Development finds that
large-format (largely Asian) grocery stores are now being built across Canada to meet demand.
Cutting out the waste Canadian consumers are typically happy to reduce waste, and even
more so when it means that they can save money. The newest trend in Canadian kitchens is to
waste less. Often, groceries go unused, or because of the way food is prepared, some of it ends
up wasted. Canadian consumers are now becoming more interested in how to cut down food
waste in their fridges and kitchens. The face of this new trend in Canada is British celebrity chef
Jamie Oliver. In a recent interview with Canadian magazine Chatelaine, Oliver stated,
Certainly in Britain its probably very similar in Canada the average Brit wastes 40 per cent
of everything they buy. Thats a load of money to be saved right there. The celebrity chefs
book and a new show on cooking with less waste are coming to Canada and garnering a lot of
attention. The increased buzz around less waste and no-waste cooking has resulted in
Canadian bloggers adding their own tips and insights, as well as bloggers and media outlets
drawing attention to other resources, which consumers can draw upon to reduce waste.
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Poutine from coast-to-coast the Quebecker classic goes nationwide

Poutine is traditionally a hearty dish of French fries, gravy and cheese curds, and is a
favourite with Quebeckers, especially during the cold winter months. In recent years poutines
popularity has seen the dish being exported to other provinces. Poutines popularity with
Canadian diners is set to increase even more in 2014. A 2014 survey of Canadian chefs
identified artisanal poutine as a top food trend for 2014. Artisnal poutine creations will help
increase the spread of poutine across Canada by adding local flavours and meats to the
poutine. Poutine is also getting a major boost as one of Canadas favourite foods as a result of it
being added to Canadian McDonalds menus in December 2013. McDonalds added poutine to
its menus in Quebec over a decade ago, but due to the increase in Canada-wide demand, the
company is making it available across the country. According to McDonalds, the Canada-wide
poutine market may be valued at C$79 million.
Drinking Habits
Responsible drinking of alcohol is not stigmatised in Canada and 80% of Canadians 25 years
or older report drinking in the last year, according to Canada Healths Canadian Alcohol and
Drug Use Monitoring Survey. The alcoholic beverage of choice for Canadians has been and
continues to be beer. Pale lagers are the beer type of choice of Canadians and of the top five
beer brands consumed by Canadians, all are pale lagers. A recent article from the Vancouver
Sun notes that Canadians are drinking alcohol more at home and less at restaurants in order to
have greater choice of what they drink, save money and avoid driving while impaired.
Concerning where Canadians buy their alcohol for consumption at home, Andr Fortin, director
of public affairs at the Brewers Association of Canada, summarises it nicely in an interview with
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, "In Quebec, you can buy beer in corner stores and
grocery stores, whereas in Ontario you can only buy it at the Beer Store and the Liquor Control
Board of Ontario (LCBO). While liquor stores tend to be strategically located, convenience is
always key for Canadian consumers. As such, beginning in the latter half of 2014, express
LCBO kiosks will begin appearing in grocery stores throughout major cities in Ontario. According
to an article from the Toronto Sun, Express stores will be placed where LCBO stores arent
nearby. They will be subject to LCBO store hours and will feature LCBO employees. Another
important change coming to Canadas most populous province is how wine may be sold.
Consumers will now be able to buy wine at farmers markets, whereas previously the sale of
wine was limited to LCBOs and a select number of other stores, such as Wine Rack and
Vineyard Estates. When it comes to wine, Canadian consumers are gravitating towards wine
and away from beer. A recent article from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation captures the
phenomenon perfectly, Canadians are drinking a lot more wine, a little bit more liquor and less
beer. The Globe and Mail has also recently noted that in 2013, Canada imported less volume of
wine but at higher prices, indicating that Canadian consumers are seeking out more premium
wines. When it comes to the preferred regions for foreign wines, Chile and South Africa are
popular.
Single cup coffee gains ground According to the Coffee Association of Canadas 2013
Canadian Coffee Drinking Study, coffee consumption trends between the United States and
Canada were very similar except in one important respect: single cup brewer ownership in
Canada is much higher than in the United States, at 20% compared to 12%. Biodegradable
coffee pods for single-cup brewers are also becoming available in Canada, meaning that
environmentally conscious Canadians can consume single cups of coffee without contributing to
additional waste, which is a criticism that has been levied against single brewers by some.
BevWire is a blog that follows Canadian beverage trends, which has recently noted that,
Keurig, Nespresso, Tassimo and other coffee pod makers offering deep discounts on the coffee
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machine, attracting your initial purchase in order to have you buy exclusive coffee or tea pods
from them in the future.
Cold-pressed juices come to Canada
Smoothies have previously been at the forefront of health trends in juices. As Canadian
Grocer notes, Smoothie chains are nothing new, but many of these concoctions are little more
than fruit milkshakes in disguise loaded with juice concentrates and frozen yogurt.
Consumers will be seeking out new juice options that purport to provide greater health
benefits, namely cold-pressed juices. Traditional centrifugal juicers have a blade spinning inside,
which breaks down fruits and vegetables. Cold-press juicers work by mashing the fruit and
vegetables to extract the juice, which is believed to help better retain their nutrients. Coldpressed juices have been gaining attention in the United States, and a recent Globe and Mail
article states that juice entrepreneurs in Los Angeles and New York are competing for
dominance in a US$5 billion-plus market. With the immense popularity of cold-pressed juice in
the United States, Canadian consumers are now looking for cold-pressed juice options,
especially in Canadas major cities. Canadians are also looking to cold-pressed juices as a way
to incorporate other health trends. Juice cleanses have grown in popularity in recent years, and
the new demand for cold-pressed juices provides new options for health-savvy consumers to
perform cleanses. Furthermore, texturised juices will become more popular and consumers will
be looking to incorporate cold-pressed juices with elements such as chia seeds, which add
texture and health benefits.
Table 4
Eating and Drinking Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
C$ per capita, at constant prices
Food consumer
expenditure
- Bread and cereals
consumer expenditure
- Meat consumer
expenditure
- Fish and seafood
- Milk, cheese and eggs
- Oils and fats
- Fruit consumer
expenditure
- Vegetables consumer
expenditure
- Sugar and confectionery
Coffee, tea and cocoa
Mineral waters, soft
drinks,
fruit and vegetable
juices
Alcoholic drinks
- Beer consumer
expenditure
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
2,241
2,361
2,582
2,592
2,612
2,726
364
363
391
392
395
411
499
492
494
489
486
485
80
90
105
105
106
112
365
370
402
403
406
423
30
25
22
21
21
20
276
302
343
346
351
373
242
274
317
322
328
355
82
99
124
127
130
140
19
15
16
16
16
17
122
106
96
94
93
92
491
542
559
543
541
549
235
246
233
224
221
220
28
- Spirits consumer
expenditure
- Wine consumer
expenditure
Catering consumer
expenditure
Availability of fruit
and vegetables (kg per
capita per year)
Source:
Chart 4
Source:
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136
149
146
141
140
141
120
147
179
177
180
188
1,604
1,633
1,655
1,656
1,670
1,736
246.4
248.3
247.0
247.1
247.2
247.1
Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth in

Consumer Expenditure on Food and Alcoholic Drinks 2000-2016
GROOMING AND FASHION

Perceptions of Beauty Perceptions of beauty in Canada have undergone major changes in
recent years. Namely, Canadians are embracing a more positive body image, embracing a
wider breadth of body types. Canadians increasing emphasis on health also influences
perceptions of beauty; healthy is seen as a part of beauty criteria, instead of just skinny. The
idea of pursuing and achieving fitness goals is beginning to influence perceptions of beauty as
seen in the popularity of concepts such as, strong is beautiful, or strong is the new skinny.
Instead of placing emphasis purely on being super-model skinny, these new perceptions of
beauty focus more on embracing ones body type and seeing changes in ones body type as a
side-effect of becoming healthier, at least in theory.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently interviewed Canadians with respect to the
increasing influence of the strong is beautiful concept. A proponent of the idea stated that,
"Physique becomes a side effect of performance goals, [which] allows for a range of healthy
bodies because if you can lift this much, then youre achieving the goal. And its a realistic one,
as compared to getting someones stomach. While perceptions of beauty have begun to focus
more on a perception of being fit and healthy, some have warned that this still focuses on an
unrealistic body image, noting, If the focus was more on performance goals the strength
29
aspect and what your body is able to do I think thats potentially a positive thing. But if were
still focused on appearance, I dont know if were moving to any better of a situation. While
Canadian perceptions of beauty have tried to turn away from aesthetics and more towards
health, Canada still ranks 15th in the world for the number of plastic surgery operations that
Canadians undergo. Plastic surgery also plays a role in Canadians perception of beauty.
According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, in 2011 996 Americans per
100,000 had some sort of surgical or non-surgical plastic surgery performed, while in Canada it
was 641 per 100,000. The number of plastic surgery operations in the United States grew by
2.5% over the previous year, while it grew by a slightly larger amount in Canada, at 3.5%.
Breast augmentation is the most frequent cosmetic surgery in Canada, with 20,375 operations
being performed in 2011, which amounts to 59 operations per 100,000 Canadians, compared
with 91 per 100,000 in the United States. Canada is tremendously diverse, which means that
there is a great deal of cultural nuance in perceptions of beauty. Furthermore, Canadas diverse
communities possess their own cultural standards of beauty but are influenced predominantly by
Western perceptions of beauty that are present in Canada. Canadas largest immigrant
population is East Asian. Societal pressures have resulted in sizable numbers of people within
Canadas Asian communities seeking out Asian blepharoplasty, an eyelid surgery that according
to Dr Anthony Youn in an article with CNN is designed to make the eyes look more Caucasian.
Another trend primarily within Canadas Asian, African, and Caribbean communities is skinwhitening. Despite the health risks associated with them, whitening creams have become
popular as people strive for lighter skin based on their own cultural pressures or pressures to fit
into more Western perceptions of beauty.
Female Grooming By 2016 it is expected that the Canadian female population will reach 18.4
million, and while salary inequality still exists in Canada, womens salaries have gone up 12%
since 2000 and are now C$47,300 compared to C$42,200 in 2000 for women working full-time.
While womens purchasing power has increased, according to the Bank of Montreal (BMO),
Canadian women spend less on wants compared to men, and men are more likely to impulsebuy. Nevertheless, make-up is one of the top impulse buys for Canadian women, according to
the BMO study. Core personal grooming products remain central to daily hygiene and
appearance for Canadian women. At the same time, even those core products are being
influenced by broader trends such as an emphasis on health and an increased aversion to
chemical additives in the things that Canadians consume and put on their bodies. As such,
female grooming products that have fewer chemicals and additives continue to emerge to meet
the demand and concerns of health-conscious consumers.
Health concerns have been raised around a number of products commonly found in make-up
and other female grooming products. Consumers look increasingly to limit certain chemicals and
elements that are commonly found in cosmetics. This has meant that consumers are looking to
decrease exposure to aluminium, as well as other compounds, such as parabens and
phthalates. Similarly, Health Canada has banned Brazilian Blowouts, a previously popular form
of hair-straightening after determining that the formaldehyde in the product was carcinogenic
and receiving complaints from consumers of burning eyes, nose and throat, breathing difficulties
and a report of hair loss.
Home-grown Canadian companies have found ways to tap into both Canadians desire to
purchase more healthy cosmetics, but also buy locally. Elle Canada recently published an article
detailing the top 10 natural make-up brands, to identify where Canadian brands figured
prominently. Additionally, to address consumers increased awareness of health concerns with
respect to cosmetics and make-up, Toronto-based smartphone application developers have
recently created an application that provides consumers with a health score instantly for
cosmetics they are considering purchasing. Given the expense in time and money, Canadian
women increasingly look towards online tutorials to fulfil their hair-dressing and make-up needs,
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according to the Huffington Post. Canadians, like people throughout the world, have taken to the
convenience of online tutorials for many aspects of their lives. Some Canadian women spend
thousands of dollars a year on their hair and make-up, so the possibility of reducing some of
those costs through online tutorials is an attractive possibility. Some of the worlds most
renowned make-up artists have made their insights and skills available online at no cost. In
addition to Canadian women tending to their own hairdressing needs through online tutorials,
womens hairstyles pull together numerous previous popular hairstyles. A recent Huffington Post
article shows how women are seeking the Bombr hairstyle, which is a more subtle graduation
of hair colour from dark to light, effectively combining Balayage and Ombr hairstyles that have
both been successful in their own right in previous years.
Male Grooming
Men's grooming retail sales grew by nearly 14% between 2000 and 2011, rising from C$18
per capita in 2000 to C$20.50 in 2011. Since 2011 per capita sales for mens grooming retail
sales have tapered slightly to C$20.40 and are expected to stay at that level until 2016.
Nevertheless, demand for premium mens grooming products are on the rise. The world of facial
hair in Canada is the area of male grooming that has undergone the most change. Beards have
become quite popular, with Canadas. Trends in razor sales are also linked to post-recession
spending trends that meant giving up more elaborate razors, giving way to more disposable
razors and less premium razors. The trend in beards is undeniable, however, and Canada has
even experienced a marked increase in beard transplants. Dr Jamil Asaria, a facial plastic
surgeon in Toronto specialising in this procedure, was recently interviewed by the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation and he stated that, "It's [beard transplants] something that in our clinic
we would see patients for maybe once or twice a year a few years ago, and now we're doing it
on a weekly basis. Some of this is being driven by beards entering the mainstream, among
actors such as George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gosling. How long the beard
trend will continue is unclear and a recent study from Gillette cited in Elle Canada finds that
three-quarters of Canadian women prefer kissing clean-shaven men. While beards have
become more prominent, male body grooming has become more popular. Jacob Rozenberg,
finalist at the 2013-2014 American Crew All-Star Challenge provided insights on mens
hairstyles in Canada in a recent interview with AskMen.com stating, Id say Canada normally is
a little bit more behind than the rest of the world, or the rest of Europe. So, right now whats
trending a lot for my clients is really short on the sides, longer on top. I think more progressive
men are growing the top to, like, a ponytail length. He predicts that trends will continue to relax
with respect to mens hairstyles. As such, expect mens hair to be less slicked and pulled back
and more forward and relaxed.
Bold is in
The no make-up look, even when it requires make-up, has been a popular look in recent
years. Nonetheless, the other end of the spectrum is popular with Canadian women this year, so
bolder makeup will be a common trend. Elle Canada notes that, Colourfully washed-out eyelids
were one of the hottest spring beauty looks this season seen across the runways in soft berry
at Burberry Prorsum to minty green at Giorgio Armani. The bold trend is gaining traction across
Canadian fashion publications and also among Canadian bloggers. Colours applied to the
eyelids are bold but soft, and pastels such as lavender or mint green are popular choices.
Lipstick is also more dramatic for spring and summer this year, with bright colours being
popular.
Natural hair is back Prominent African American actresses and performers, such as Solange
Knowles, Janelle Monae and Alicia Keys have been increasingly wearing their natural hair. This
has resonated with the public, resulting in more and more women with African ancestry
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embracing their natural hair and to use natural styles. Former American idol contestant Bre
Scullark underscores that choosing natural hair is not seen as embracing a trend but embracing
something deeper, stating that, Before it was trendy, before it became this new phenomenon,
my natural hair was and still is, who I am. My natural hair is so much more than a break from
chemically processed and damaged hair. More women with African and Caribbean ancestry in
Canada are beginning to embrace natural hair as well. CTV Television recently had a discussion
on air with African-Canadian academics, actresses and hairstylists to explore the phenomenon
of having natural hair.
Fashion Trends Suits is a show about a powerful law firm in New York City, but it is filmed in
Toronto, a fact that Canadians are acutely aware of, and which feeds the shows popularity in
Canada. The shows sharply dressed staff are a fashion template for some. Concordia
University in Montreal recently conducted an interview with an aspiring menswear entrepreneur
who said that, Harvey Specter, that high-flying lawyer from the aptly named television show
Suits? Hes the perfect example of that sharp-dressed man. Suits flair for impeccable business
fashion has spawned a Suits-inspired fashion show and the hashtag #suitstyle.
Beyond that, Canadians share many of the same fashion icons with the United States and
Europe. This means that Canadians look to Kate Middleton, David Beckham and many others
for fashion cues. Musicians are also important fashion icons for Canadians. For instance, Drake
is a singer and former child-actor from Toronto. His forays into fashion, which blend an urban
aesthetic with common Canadian clothing such as down jackets and varsity jackets and in
conjunction with Canadian brands such as Canada Goose and Roots, have been popular. While
Canadians draw their fashion inspirations from pop-culture in much the same way as
Americans, spending on clothing is markedly down in Canada. Per capita consumer expenditure
on clothing fell by 9% between 2000 and 2011 from C$1,120.90 to C$1,018.00. Per capita
expenditure on clothing fell again in 2012 to C$948, which represents a 3% drop from 2011. The
shrinking is slowing, with per capita expenditure on clothing only falling C$2.20 from C$984.80
in 2012 to C$982.40 in 2013. Some sub-categories of clothing expenditure has been hit harder
than others. Clothing cleaning, repair and hire per capita expenditure has shrunk the most,
falling by 53% between 2000 and 2013, from C$48.70 to C$22.70. Footwear expenditure per
capita and garment expenditure per capita were the best performers in Canada but both are still
below pre-financial crisis levels. Footwear expenditure per capita fell from C$170.90 in 2000 to
C$165.70 in 2013, and is expected to climb slightly to C$167.40 by 2016. Falling consumer
spending on fashion has been facilitated by the popularity of cheap chic with Canadians. A
consumer trends study by Industry Canada found that, Some fashion retailers have also
flourished on the premise of offering current, high-end fashion styles at more attractive prices.
Also known as cheap chic fashion, retailers such as Joe Fresh, H&M and Zara have established
a successful retail formula that 'hinges on the quick conversion of styles from the fashion runway
to the store front'. Canada has also been at the forefront of the adoption of sportswear for dayto-day life. The Business Development Bank of Canada has observed this trend in Canadian
consumers, stating that, sportswear sales continue to rise as some traditionally niche sports
activities go mainstream and as more people wear sports-inspired clothing for non-sports
activities. The popularity of brands like Lululemon are win-win for Canadian consumers,
merging the desire to show their active lifestyle and to buy from a Canada-based company.
Consumer consciousness redoubles Made in Canada trend Most Canadians tend to buy
Made in Canada whenever possible. The huge success of brands like Roots, Canada Goose
and Lululemon are a testament to desire to buy from Canadian companies. Canadians are also
consumers with a conscience, concerned with the conditions in which their clothing is made.
The Business Development Bank of Canada notes that, social and environmental concerns
have become increasingly influential in consumers purchasing decisions, and corporate social
responsibility has become a prerequisite for the majority of canadians who want to know that
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companies adopt high ethical and green standards throughout their value chain. A majority of
Canadians now make an effort to buy local or Canadian-made products and some are willing to
pay a premium. Flashpoint events like the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh crystalised
questions concerning the ethics of the clothes that Canadians wear. Across Canadian news
sources and blogs, concerned consumers have pushed for greater transparency and better
ethics in the fashion industry.
Bringing back the 90s
Every couple of years, Canadians revisit a previous decade to create the latest fashion trend.
In 2014, Canadian men and women will be looking back to the 1990s for their fashion ideas.
Just as with trends in make-up, the throwback to the styles of the 1990s will bring back bright
colours, and it will also bring back mesh tops and trainers. Additionally, Canadians will combine
their current love of sportswear with 90s aesthetics. Toronto-based stylist Corey Ng says that he
sees sporty chic at play with the new styles, stating, Sporty chic is about camouflaging comfort,
its about treating structured sweatpants like a casual pair of slim chinos and then pairing them
with a button-up and a cardigan. Elle Canada foresees Canadian women looking to take trainer
styles, which were popular in the 90s, and turning them into wedges for more versatility. Also,
Canadian women will be looking for bold patterns like those that were popular in the 90s, but
without that baggy fit that was common at that time.
Table 5
Grooming and Fashion Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
C$ per capita, at constant prices
Personal care consumer

expenditure
Colour cosmetics retail
sales
Fragrances retail sales
Hair care retail sales
Oral care retail sales
Men's grooming retail
sales
Skin care retail sales
Sun care retail sales
Clothing consumer
expenditure
- Clothing materials
- Garments consumer
expenditure
- Other clothing
- Clothing cleaning,
repair and
hire consumer expenditure
Footwear consumer
expenditure
Source:
Chart 5
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
453.0
512.6
541.1
544.1
549.1
574.3
34.0
37.6
41.6
42.5
43.5
46.3
23.2
48.4
22.1
18.0
21.6
50.7
26.3
18.7
20.4
46.3
28.3
20.5
20.2
45.9
28.5
20.4
20.0
45.6
28.8
20.4
19.7
45.7
29.9
20.4
32.9
3.5
1,120.9
41.1
4.1
1,090.4
47.3
5.0
1,018.0
48.4
5.1
984.8
49.6
5.2
982.4
53.1
5.6
992.3
22.1
17.6
14.4
13.8
13.5
13.1
1,002.6
1,003.5
955.4
925.0
923.6
936.0
47.4
34.3
23.9
22.8
22.5
21.4
48.7
35.1
24.2
23.1
22.7
21.8
170.9
172.2
171.6
165.9
165.7
167.4

Consumer Expenditure on Clothing, Footwear and Personal Care 2000-2016
33
Source:
HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Attitudes To Health and Well-being
Canada has a single payer healthcare system with its own intricacies. Health Canada clearly
explains that there is no single national health care plan, but rather a national health insurance
program, which is achieved by a series of thirteen interlocking provincial and territorial health
insurance plans, all of which share certain common features and basic standards of coverage.
Through this design and under the Canada Health Act, all Canadians are guaranteed all
medically necessary hospital and physician services. Beyond what is deemed necessary, it is
at a given provinces discretion to make decisions with respect to supplementary care, such as
dental and drug coverage. As of 2010, roughly two-thirds of Canadians take out supplementary
insurance, or are provided with supplementary policies through their employer, to cover dental
and drug expenses. The private sector plays an important role in the Canadian healthcare
landscape. Although Physicians for a National Health Program follows United States healthcare
issues primarily, they have commented extensively on the Canadian healthcare programme and
have noted that, While Canada is traditionally thought of as a publicly financed system,
spending on these supplemental benefits means that 30% of health spending comes from
private sources. One 2011 study found that nearly all Canadian spending on dental care came
from non-government dollars, 60% covered by employer-sponsored plans and 35% paid out of
pocket. Canadas per capita healthcare expenditure have increased dramatically since 2000. In
2000 the per capita expenditure on healthcare was US$2,089.20 and by 2013 it had reached
US$6,643.30, which represents a 218% increase. As a percentage of total healthcare
expenditure, public and private expenditure have been locked in at roughly 70% and 30%,
respectively. The 30% of total healthcare expenditure that comes from the private sector
represents C$63 billion annually, of which C$31.6 billion comes in the form of out-of-pocket
expenses and C$25.3 billion come from private insurance, while the remaining C$6.1 billion are
defined as coming from other sources. The Canadian institute for Health has identified three
major drivers for the increasing health care costs. The foremost reason is that compensation for
health care professionals has been the major driver of health spending in the last decade. The
other reasons cited for the increases are that, Canadians are using more health services,
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including receiving more medical procedures and drugs, which increases total health care
costs, and that Canadas ageing population is putting more demand on healthcare services and
spending on seniors 80 and older is three times higher than younger seniors.
Canada will be looking to ways to manage increasing healthcare costs as the population of
Canadians who are 80 years or older continues to grow. It is impossible to say how the
Canadian government will implement reforms in the future, but so far the Canadian government
has responded with, the introduction of inter-professional collaboration to provide team-based
care, expansion in the scope of practice for some non-physician providers, increased focus on
patient-centred care, emphasis on integration and continuity of care, shifting to ambulatory and
home care, ensuring the affordability of drugs and providing incentives to health care providers
to meet the needs of their patient populations, according to the Canadian Institute for Health
Information. While costs have increased, Canadians have remained quite fond of their
healthcare system and find that it is serving their needs. A survey by Ipsos Public Affairs found
that, Only half of US adults (49%) agree that they currently have access to all of the healthcare
services they need without it costing them more than they can afford. In contrast, two thirds of
Canadian adults (65%) feel this way. Additionally, a Gallup poll found that Canada far
outperformed the United States in terms of satisfaction with access to healthcare, with 16% of
Canadians stating that they are very satisfied and 41% stating that they are somewhat satisfied
compared to 6% being very satisfied and 19% being somewhat satisfied in the United States. In
terms of satisfaction with the quality of care, Canadian and American healthcare consumers are
closely matched, with 13% of Canadians surveyed being very satisfied with the quality of care
that they receive and 39% being somewhat satisfied, compared to 17% being very satisfied and
31% being somewhat satisfied in the United States. Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) for
prescription drugs is forbidden in Canada, meaning that unlike the United States, Canadian
consumers must seek out information on their conditions and consult with their doctor before
seeking a prescription drug. The United States and New Zealand are the only countries that
allow DTCA, meaning that drug manufacturers can advertise directly to patients rather than by
means of healthcare professionals. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information
(CIHI), expenditure on prescription drugs reached C$33 billion in Canada. This means that
Canada had the second highest per capita expenditure on prescription drugs after the United
States at C$903.02 in 2013, which represents an 83% increase in per capita spending over
2000 levels. Furthermore, their findings show that provincial/territorial and federal drug subsidy
programmes and social security funds finance 44.5% of prescription drug purchases, with the
remainder coming from private sector sources, which includes private insurers, as well as
households and individuals. With respect to generic drugs, the CIHI found that, In 2012, generic
products accounted for 38.8% of public drug program spending and 72.4% of accepted claims.
In Canada, only pharmacies with Drug Establishment Licences are allowed to to fabricate,
package, label, distribute, import, wholesale, or test a drug, which serves as a foundation of
trust between consumers and pharmacies. Canadians attitudes towards safe and regulated
prescription drug use are generally positive. However, Canadians have recently been raising
awareness around the abuse of prescription opioids through major news outlets, as well as
through community action and blogs. The government is also keenly aware of the issue of
prescription drug abuse among Canadians stating that, Canadian consumption of prescribed
opioids has risen by over 200 per cent since 2000. Closely tied to this increase in usage is an
increasing rate of prescription drug abuse, which doubled among Canadians aged 15 and older
between 2011 and 2012. As a result, the Canadian government is committing C$44.9 million
dollar
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Obesity
In 2000 obesity rates in Canada were 15.5% of the population aged 15+ and by 2013 those
obesity rates had hit 20.1%. Amongst G7 nations, which represent the worlds largest most
advanced economies, Canada ranks third among the most obese, according to research from
the OECD. The Canadian Department of Social and Employment Development provides agestandardised figures on obesity rates on a province-by-province basis, as well as by other
criteria. In terms of the provinces that are home to the smallest percentages of obese
Canadians, British Columbia leads with only 14%, followed by Quebec with 16%, and then the
Yukon at 17%. Provinces that rank the worst are Northwest Territories with 26%, Nunavut with
28% and Newfoundland with 29%. According to the Childhood Obesity Foundation, increases in
childhood obesity have been dramatic with only 15% of children being overweight or obese in
1978 compared to 29% in 2007. Furthermore, they have found that Canadian adolescents, like
many other adolescents, will not outgrow overweightness and obesity, and may continue to gain
excess weight. Like obesity everywhere, obesity in Canada arises from a number of factors.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba have noted that, Individual factors include genetics,
psychosocial attributes (e.g. depression, anxiety, disordered eating habits), lifestyle and
behaviour. However, individual factors alone cannot explain the rapid increase in the prevalence
of obesity we see today. As such, the researchers found that there are habits and behaviours
among increasing percentages of Canadians that are driving the obesity trend in Canada. When
it comes to how Canadians are eating, 22% of the total calories consumed by adults and 25% of
the total calories consumed by adolescents come from a category of foods that contains mainly
fat and oils, sugar, high fat/high salt snack foods, sugary beverages and condiments. The level
of physical activity among Canadians is also largely insufficient and is a driving factor for obesity
in Canada. Research shows that, Although half of Canadian adults (52.5%) report that they are
physically active, only 15% are meeting national guidelines when activity is measured with an
accelerometer. The Canadian physical activity levels among youth study estimated that only 7%
of children and youth ages 5 to 17 attained moderate physical activity levels. These trends
among Canadians young and old, along with individual factors and psychosocial attributes, are
what are driving obesity rates in Canada. Like many developed countries, Canadians are
working on balancing need for physical activity and the reality of a modern life that does not
demand physical activity. The modern Canadian is sedentary for most of their waking hours.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 68% of Canadian mens waking hours are
sedentary, while that figure is 69% for Canadian women. Furthermore, they found that, Many
Canadians spend a lot of their leisure time in sedentary activities. People are spending more
and more time watching TV, using a computer, watching videos and playing online or video
games. These screen-based forms of entertainment are examples of activities that usually
involve a lot of sitting. Prolonged sitting also occurs, with increased time spent in automobiles
and sitting in the workplace (occupational sitting). In response, the Canadian Society for
Exercise Physiology has made Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines and Canadian Sedentary
Behaviour Guidelines easily available to Canadians. Furthermore, many Canadian sports
trainers publish workouts on YouTube, on their websites, or even in the form of short video
tutorials on platforms such as Instagram. While, a wide variety of health resources are available
to Canadians, and health trends are present throughout most of Canada, there is still a
challenge of getting more Canadians eating healthy foods and addressing the increasingly
sedentary lifestyle of Canadians.
Attitudes To Smoking
The number of total smokers throughout Canada has been falling with relative consistency.
For the general population smoking prevalence among adults has fallen from 27% to 16.5%
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between 2000 and 2013. This trend is expected to continue into 2016, where smoking
prevalence will drop to 14.7%. Both men and women have been quitting in large numbers,
although women have been more apt to quit. In 2000 smoking prevalence for men was 29% and
this fell considerably to 19% in 2013 and will continue to fall to 17% in 2016. The decrease for
women has been more dramatic. In 2000 some 25% of Canadian women smoked and by 2013
that had fallen to 14%, and this trend is expected to continue as the percentage of Canadian
women who smoke will reach 12.5% in 2016. A notable regional trend is the much higher
prevalence of smoking in northern Canada. For 2012, in the Yukon 29.4% of all residents are
smokers, in the Northwest Territories 35.8% are smokers, and in Nunavut 54.3% are smokers.
Of particular note among trends for women smokers is the decrease in heavy smoking, which
fell from 20.3% to 14.2% between 2001 and 2011. Smoking prevalence for those aged 15 to 19
(all sexes) reduced from 22% in 2001 to 11% in 2011, showing changing attitudes towards
smoking among Canadian teens. The attitudes towards smoking in northern Canada reflect a
wider set of attitudes that lead to lower health. Statistics Canada notes, that, People living in
Canada's northern remote communities are the least healthy. The smoking rates, obesity rates,
and heavy drinking rates in these communities are above the Canadian averages. Conversely,
residents of these communities are less likely to report high levels of stress. The Non-smokers'
Health Act (1985) is the first law to regulate smoking in workplaces and public spaces under
federal jurisdiction. The Tobacco Act (1997) regulates manufacture, sale, labelling and
promotion of tobacco products. Tobacco Products Labelling Regulations have been in place for
cigarettes and small cigars since 2000 and aim to reduce tobacco consumption by the
mandated inclusion of health warnings on cigarettes and small cigar packaging. Canada also
has in place graphic labels that convey the negative effects of smoking. According to Assistant
Professor David Hammond, Large picture warnings also enjoy strong public support, including
among smokers. Even in countries such as Canada, where graphic pictures cover half the
package, the majority of smokers report a desire for even more health information on their
package. These regulations are seen as driving the decrease in smoking rates in Canada. The
Non-smokers' Health Act limits smoking in bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Nevertheless,
there is variance in smoking regulations at the provincial level. For instance, in Prince Edward
Island restaurants and bars are allowed to have designated smoking rooms. Smoking at home
has seen a significant decrease in the last decade as well. In 2003, 10.6% of Canadians had
exposure to second-hand smoke at home, while that figure was only 5.5% in 2013. As noted,
smoking among teens and adolescents is generally on the decline, which reflects in part teen
attitudes towards smoking in the teen population. However, adolescents attitudes towards
smoking are not uniform across Canada and smoking rates differ from province to province. The
2013 edition of Tobacco Use in Canada found that, The percentage of students in grades 6-9
who had ever tried smoking a cigarette varied significantly by province. For example, just 8.7%
of Ontario youth had tried smoking, while nearly triple that (24.4%) in Quebec had tried.
Canadian youth, like youth around the world, may be less well informed about other forms of
tobacco. Cigarillo consumption is highest amongst youth compared to other age groups. Water
pipe usage is the one area of tobacco consumption that has undergone significant growth. In
2006, the number of Canadians aged 15 years and older who had used a tobacco
Getting clarity on e-cigarettes A number of questions still loom for e-cigarettes concerning
their implications on users health. For Canadians, however, the landscape for e-cigarettes has
been more complex than just weighing the health consequences. Consumers see it is a less
harmful way to consume nicotine and/or as a stepping-stone towards total nicotine cessation.
Experts and journalists have been split on this issue, arguing that e-cigarettes may encourage
more young people to smoke, putting them on a track for regular smoking, and that the actual
health implications are still unknown for e-cigarettes. All the while, Canada moved early to
regulate against e-cigarettes that contain nicotine. Enforcement has been weak, however, and
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consumers and industry groups note that, while e-cigarette juice that contains nicotine is
officially not permitted for sale in Canada, the enforcement of that ban has been patchy at best.
The popularity of e-cigarettes despite regulation against them and the closely linked nature of
many American and Canadian trends means that future deregulation could lead to an ecigarette bonanza to meet the latent Canadian demand for e-cigarettes. The United States is
currently reviewing regulation and this will have an effect on the regulatory decisions that
Canada needs to make in the near future.
More Vitamin F meaning Food As Canadians continue to question whether or not they need
to supplement their diet with vitamins, increasing numbers will be looking to the actual food that
they eat to meet their vitamin and mineral needs. For the most health-conscious Canadians, it
does not suffice to eat just any food super foods are the most complete foods for health
conscious Canadians. Super foods are often at the heart of the cold-pressed juices that are a
trend in drinks for Canadians this year. However, super foods do not necessarily have to be
cold-pressed into juice; they can be eaten straight, blended or even put in as part of a mixture
for a whole food vitamin. Super foods have taken various shapes and forms over the years, but
Canadian Living has identified three super foods that Canadians will be looking for. The first is
kaniwa, which will follow in the footsteps of quinoa, a grain that has been much loved by
Canadians. Kaniwa is full of nutrients and is much like quinoa, but is less bitter. The second
super food is baby kale. Kale has been a super food favourite for Canadians looking to add
vitamins, minerals and fibre to their diet. However, the taste is an acquired one at best, as it is
quite bitter. Baby kale will more easily find its way into Canadians kitchens as it is less coarse,
while still packing a lot of the same health benefits. Spirulina is a final prediction from Canadian
Living. Many Canadians became acquainted with spirulina by means of Odwalla and Naked
Juice blended drinks, which have been in stores in Canada for quite some time. Spirulina can be
bought separately and easily incorporated into smoothies, which means that time-strapped
Canadians will be able to easily get their super food fix on the go.
Table 6
Health and Wellness Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Total health
expenditure (US$ per
capita)
Share of total health
expenditure in GDP (%
of total GDP)
- Public health
expenditure's share of
total health
expenditure (% of total
health expenditure)
- Private health
expenditure's share of
total health
expenditure (% of total
health expenditure)
Healthy life expectancy
at birth: total
population (years)
at birth: males (years)
at birth: females (years)
Average supply of food
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
2,089.2
3,453.4
5,629.7
6,183.4
6,646.3
8.7
9.6
10.9
11.8
12.8
70.4
70.2
70.4
70.2
69.7
29.6
29.8
29.6
29.8
30.3
69.7
71.9
73.6
73.7
73.9
74.2
67.9
70.1
71.7
71.8
71.9
72.3
71.5
73.8
75.5
75.7
75.8
76.1
3,515.0
3,503.0
3,401.9
3,415.7
3,432.3
3,461.7
38
calories per day

(calories per capita)
Average supply of
protein per day (grams
per capita)
Average supply of fat
per day (grams per
capita)
Obese population (BMI
30 kg/sq m or more) (%
of population aged 15+)
Overweight population
(BMI 25-30 kg/sq m or
more) (% of population
aged 15+)
Tobacco consumer
expenditure (C$ per
capita, at constant
prices)
Smoking prevalence
amongst adult
population (% of total
adult population)
Smoking prevalence
amongst adult male
population (% of male
adult population)
Smoking prevalence
amongst adult female
population (% of female
adult population)
Source:
Chart 6
Source:
PASSPORT
106.6
102.8
104.2
105.0
105.8
108.1
147.9
144.5
146.4
147.5
148.7
152.4
15.5
17.1
19.4
19.7
20.1
21.2
33.2
33.5
33.5
33.5
33.5
33.4
393.9
482.0
409.6
397.3
395.7
398.8
27.0
23.0
19.9
17.5
16.5
14.7
29.0
25.1
22.3
20.0
19.0
17.0
25.0
21.0
17.5
15.0
14.0
12.5
Real Growth in Public and Private Expenditure on Health Compared with

Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth 2000-2013
39
SHOPPING HABITS
Main Household Shop Canadians purchasing habits with respect to how they shop for
groceries have undergone major changes and there is a great deal of nuance. Looking at
household spending for modern grocery retailers, there was less than a 1% change between
2000 and 2013; in 2000 Canadian households spent C$6,691.00 at modern grocery retailers
and in 2013 that figure was C$6,719.50. This is expected to increase by nearly 5% by 2016 to
C$7,035.60 per household.
The nuance is that all of the growth in modern grocery retailers is in hypermarkets, where
Canadians spent 191.36% more in 2013 than they did in 2000. In 2000 Canadians spent
C$562.5 per household and by 2013 that figured had climbed to C$1,638.90 and will continue
climbing to C$1,903.30 in 2016. Canadians have been spending less and less money at other
types of modern grocery retailers. Between 2000 and 2013 household spending at convenience
stores fell 28%, from C$193.9 to C$139.2 in 2013. Spending at convenience stores has always
constituted a fairly low percentage of household spending in modern grocery retailers.
Supermarkets have traditionally constituted the lions share of household spending in modern
grocery retailers, and in 2000 56% of household spending in modern grocery retailers was in
supermarkets. However, the amount that Canadians spend in supermarkets has been
consistently decreasing and fell roughly 23% between 2000 and 2013 from C$3,754.00 to
C$2,907.20. Household expenditure at forecourt grocers fell by 16% during the 2000 to 2013
period and expenditure at discount grocers has remained virtually unchanged. The Bank of
Montreal (BMO) made important conclusions with respect to Canadian consumers in their 2012
study looking at Canadians willingness to buy locally. According to the findings, Canadian
consumers are willing to spend 16% more on Canadian-sourced fruit and vegetables, and 19%
more for Canadian meat. In terms of the products that Canadians are most likely to buy
Canadian, BMO found that, Canadians are most likely to buy Canadian food products when
grocery shopping for vegetables (91 per cent), fruit (86 per cent), poultry (84 per cent), cheese
(81 per cent) and beef (78 per cent). Furthermore, the decisions to buy local are varied. Some
28% of Canadians buy locally to support local producers, while 14% do it for improved
freshness, 10% buy locally out of environmental concerns, and 9% buy locally for better food
safety. BMO also finds that there are notable region differences between consumers. Perhaps
unsurprisingly, Ontarians and British Columbians are willing to pay the highest premium when
purchasing Canadian-made products, and they are also the groups that are the most likely to
purchase Canadian when shopping for wine, reflecting the vibrant wine industries in those two
provinces. The findings also show that, Atlantic Canadians are the most likely to buy Canadian
food products when they shop for groceries. This local orientation is most pronounced when it
comes to fish (Atlantic Canada: 60 per cent, Canada: 53 per cent).
While Canadians are increasingly shopping in hypermarkets, Quebeckers tend to buy their
locally sourced food at fruit and vegetable stands. Albertans are known for their meat
consumption, and consume roughly 13 grams more of protein from red meat per day than the
Canadian average, with their love for beef; and indeed, 83% of Albertans will try to buy local
beef.
Shopping for Big-ticket Items Household spending on electronics and appliances at specialist
retailers has been relatively flat and has grown by less than 1% since 2000. In 2000 Canadians
spent C$951.90 on electronics and appliances at specialist retailers and this figure reached
C$959.60 in 2013 after a high of $1,068.50 in 2005. Canadians have been facing
unprecedented levels of debt, but this does not seem to be dissuading consumer spending, as
had previously been expected. A recent article from the Globe and Mail noted that, consumers
kept right on buying, led by record purchases of cars and trucks. Real, or after-inflation,
consumer spending is on track to end the year at a 2.3-per-cent annual pace the strongest
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momentum in three years according to Toronto-Dominion Bank. And increasingly, consumers

make those purchases with less borrowing than in the past. Household credit growth remains at
the lowest level in a generation. Canadians are purchasing more and more electronics online.
Companies such as Amazon, Apple and Best Buy have put major pressure on bricks-andmortar establishments. Companies such as Best Buy enjoyed marked increases in their ecommerce sales, as Canadians gain greater confidence in buying online and the convenience
associated with online purchasing. According to the Business Development Bank of Canada,
47% of Canadian consumers conduct a broad online search prior to purchase, 42% consult
customer review sites before buying, and 42% search online to find the best place to buy. Last
year, Best Buy Canada closed 16 of its 230 big-box stores and Sears closed one of its hallmark
locations in the Eaton Centre of Toronto in early 2014. The response has been that these stores
are moving away from the big-box format and towards smaller and more mobile stores.
Companies like Best Buy, The Source and Future Shop have all announced or begun opening
small-box stores in response to the shrinking foot traffic and sales of the big box format.
Personal Shopping
Apparel and footwear specialist retailers experienced an increase in the amount that
households spent between 2000 and 2005, rising from C$2,437.20 to C$2,499.40. However, in
the period between 2005 and 2011 household spending with apparel and footwear specialists
fell by over 13% to C$2,163.00. Household spending on apparel and footwear in specialist
retailers has continued to fall modestly, by less than 1% per year to C$2,131.20 in 2013, and is
expected to fall to C$2,117.90 in 2016. Nevertheless, Canadian consumers have been fairly
unwavering since the 2008 global financial crisis. The Globe and Mail notes, Some aspects of
the economy recovered more quickly than seemed possible in those tumultuous autumn days of
2008 retail spending, for example, took only a short dive before bouncing back as low
borrowing costs gave consumers the confidence to spend.
Trends in the ways that Canadians shop for shoes are changing. Many online stores have
appeared offering Canadians deals and convenience. However, Canadians remain slow to
adopt online shoe purchases compared to other developed countries. In Canada only 2% of
people buy shoes online compared to 10% to 15% elsewhere, according to the National Post.
Particularly noteworthy is the popularity of online shoe shopping with rural Canadians.
ShoeMe.ca is an online shoe company that has become a favourite with Canadians. To the
surprise of its founder, Sean Clark, 40% of the companys sales come from rural areas. In an
interview with the National Post, Mr Clark said, Rural wasnt part of our plan. I expected to get
to urban customers who were online savvy. But now were finding that our service reps are
increasingly walking older, rural and small town women through their first times online. Rural is
now our driver. Nevertheless, Canadians still appreciate trying on a pair of shoes and getting a
good idea of how it looks on them.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) recently completed a comprehensive study on Canadian
shopping attitudes. Like many consumers, Canadians expect a multi-channel shopping
experience, meaning that they can enjoy shopping in bricks-and-mortar locations, as well as
online and on mobile applications. Interestingly, PwC also observed that, Canadian consumers
still enjoy shopping at a physical store, citing the ability to see, touch and try the merchandise,
and immediate access to products as the top benefits. In-store, consumers want technology to
help enhance the shopping experience. The number one item on consumers wish lists is the
ability to quickly check stock in other stores or online (47%). Furthermore, Canadians have
strong brand loyalty. The PwC report notes that, Canadian shoppers are increasingly keen to
buy products from a select set of retailers. This years survey shows that 15% do their shopping
with just one retailer, up from 6% last year, and nearly half (44%) shopped with between two
and five retailers.
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Shopping Online Canadians have come to truly appreciate the convenience of ordering online
and have greater confidence in the process. There is some reservation amongst Canadians with
respect to security and, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, some 38% of
Canadians still have reservations regarding the security of purchasing online. While Canadians
are multi-channel shoppers, meaning they shop online, by mobile applications, and in bricksand-mortar locations, Canada still lags slightly behind in the number of Canadians that never
shop online. RetailMeNot.ca recently commissioned a study that found, Canadian and Italian
consumers proved to be the least digital shoppers, with 22% of Canadians stating they never
buy anything online. By comparison, just 6% of German and British consumers and 4% of
Chinese consumers said they never shop online. The global consulting firm Ernst & Young
has also examined this tendency amongst Canadian consumers. After surveying Canadian
consumers, Ernst & Young found, This lower incidence of buying online may be due to the fact
that until recently Canadians had fewer online choices, that it cost more since the well-known
US-based online retailers had to ship from US-based warehouses and the Canadian dollar
bought less US goods. But that may not last much longer as these online players open
warehouses and distribution centers in Canada, and the Canadian dollar remains strong. The
Business Development Bank of Canada has made some important insights into the ways that
Canadian consumers use the internet for purchasing or informing their purchases. According to
the Bank, 47% of Canadian consumers conduct a broad online search prior to purchase, 42%
consult customer review sites before buying, 42% search online to find the best place to buy,
and 41% buy products or services online.
While Canadians have been slow compared to other developed nations, Canadian consumers
will continue to increase their participation with online purchases. In 2000 household
expenditure for internet retailing were C$203.90, this increased by 124% by 2013 to reach
C$456.80. This impressive growth is expected to continue into 2016, when household
expenditure on internet retailing will reach C$659.90, representing a 44% increase over 2013
levels. The potential for Canadians to shop even more online in the coming years is firmly in
place. However, Canadians enjoy supporting Canadian brands, but when it comes to shopping
online they find Canadian shipping prices can be prohibitively expensive. American companies
have taken notice and according to the Financial Post, High-profile US department store chains
such as Macys, Bloomingdales and J.C. Penney have started shipping to Canada this year
[2013], with easy-to-understand shipping policies and prices in Canadian dollars. The Canadian
House of Commons performed research into the issue. In interviewing the United Parcel
Service, they made the following finding that confirms the shipping cost issue, UPS compared
the costs to ship in Canada and the United States and stated if I look at our cost to serve in
Canada versus the United States, it is significantly lower in the United States. The density is
there. In this vein, many witnesses also discussed the high cost of logistic services (shipping,
storage, etc.) as compared to the United States, as further causes of Canadas poor ecommerce performance.
Grocery shopping goes online Canadians have already been enjoying grocery shopping
online, but in 2014 an important increase in amplitude as well as Canadian consumer
awareness is taking place. Busy lives and traffic congestion have helped make online grocery
shopping popular in Canada. On top of that, in Canada there are other factors that Canadian
consumers face that make online grocery shopping even more attractive. Even in Canadas
warmest regions like Vancouver, winter is a wet and cold endeavour. In cities like Montreal and
Winnipeg, monthly average low temperatures during the winter months are around -20C.
Although Canadian cities make an earnest effort to keep life as normal as possible during the
winter months, the climate is undeniably harsh. As such, Canadians are keen to order groceries
online and save the time that would otherwise be spent dressing for the weather, driving in the
snow and struggling with groceries in the cold. This is doubly true when taking into account the
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PASSPORT
increasing number of seniors that live in Canada. Canadian seniors are less inclined to venture
out in -20C, so ordering groceries online provides the opportunity to avoid braving the elements
and have convenient in-home delivery. Canadian companies are taking note. Many of Canadas
larger grocers are already offering online grocery delivery, but Canadian consumers will see an
explosion of choices in 2014. Canada recently opened its first Target stores and Walmart is
looking to improve its presence in Canada, and both stores are offering online grocery services.
Adding more vigour to the competition is the recent announcement from Amazon of an online
grocery service that is betting on tech-savvy young Canadians who are already familiar with
Amazons ability to revolutionise shopping, and the increasing number of ageing Canadians who
are happy to tap into technology that makes their lives easier.
Retail pops up across Canada
Pop-up retail spaces are short-term retail spaces that exist for a matter of days, weeks or
months. The trend has been gaining momentum in Canada and is expected to move beyond
merely being a trend to being a fixture in the Canadian retail landscape that melds the many
facets of todays Canadian consumer. Canadians have been slower to begin shopping online,
but Canadians are increasingly using the internet to make purchases or inform their purchases.
This has put pressure on big-box retailers who occupy expensive retail space. Canadian
consumers still have a desire to see and touch products before buying them. Pop-up retail
allows businesses to have minimal stock for consumers to see and touch products, and go
online to purchase the right size, colour, amongst others. Marketingmag.ca has noted this
tendency, stating, Pops-ups also closely align with the growing showrooming trend. In a recent
survey of 3,000 shoppers in the US, UK and Canada, 70% said that they showroom that is,
check out products in-store and then buy them online. Pop-up stores also grab potential
customers immediate attention, since consumers are unsure if the store will be around the
following week. This also creates buzz around companies and excitement for Canadian
consumers.
Canadian consumers were very excited for Targets collaboration with designer Jason Wu,
which was presented in a pop-up store format in anticipation of Targets entry into the Canadian
market. Target had 2,500 pieces of clothing that were snapped up by Canadian consumers in
less than five hours. Another recent example is Indochina, a premium-clothing brand, which had
12 pop-up mobile tailors traveling throughout the United States and Canada. The concept was
so popular that they are doubling the number for 2014.
Table 7
Shopping Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
C$ per household, at constant prices
Grocery retailers'
- Modern grocery
retailers'
-- Convenience stores'
-- Discounters'
-- Forecourt retailers'
-- Hypermarkets'
-- Supermarkets'
Traditional grocery
retailers'
-- Food/drink/tobacco
specialists'
-- Independent small
2000
10,611.2
6,691.0
2005
10,277.3
6,645.7
2011
9,997.2
6,609.1
2012
10,050.2
6,649.8
2013
10,133.8
6,719.5
2016
10,504.1
7,035.6
193.9
1,242.1
938.5
562.5
3,754.0
3,920.3
187.4
1,405.6
916.9
693.5
3,442.3
3,631.6
152.9
1,307.6
799.8
1,362.4
2,986.4
3,388.1
142.0
1,258.9
790.2
1,518.8
2,940.0
3,400.4
139.2
1,247.5
786.7
1,638.9
2,907.2
3,414.3
140.1
1,260.2
784.4
1,903.3
2,947.6
3,468.5
1,676.9
1,775.5
1,743.0
1,729.2
1,731.9
1,776.9
1,258.4
1,017.6
908.9
923.7
930.3
938.3
43
grocers'
-- Other grocery
retailers'
Apparel and footwear
specialist retailers'
Electronics and
appliance specialist
retailers'
Health and beauty
Home and garden
Leisure and personal
goods specialist
retailers'
Mixed retailers'
Other non-grocery
retailers'
Internet retailing
Source:
Chart 7
Source:
PASSPORT
984.9
838.5
736.2
747.5
752.1
753.3
2,437.2
2,499.4
2,163.0
2,144.0
2,131.2
2,117.9
951.9
1,068.5
1,006.0
991.9
959.6
903.0
2,454.3
2,607.3
2,866.9
2,908.3
2,973.9
3,115.4
2,969.3
3,579.6
3,546.1
3,481.7
3,442.6
3,423.7
1,523.3
1,340.3
1,164.3
1,156.8
1,153.0
1,168.8
4,530.8
127.2
4,433.7
104.0
3,458.4
82.1
3,144.6
82.0
3,141.8
81.3
3,443.0
81.3
203.9
264.5
364.4
407.6
456.8
659.9
Index of Retail Sales through Discounters, Supermarkets and Internet

Retailing 2000-2016
LEISURE AND RECREATION

Staying in Compared to Americans, Canadians watch significantly more television per day.
Americans watched 2.8 hours of television per day in 2012, while Canadians watched 4.03
hours per day for a total of 28.2 hours a week according to the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission. There are important differences in the available television
programming between English-language services and French-language services. There are 743
English-language services, and 141 French-language services. In terms of the types of
television sets that Canadians own, 99.1% of Canadian households own colour televisions, and
66.4% of Canadian households have cable. The number of households that have satellite
44
television systems grew substantially, rising from 8.5% to 22.6% households. Furthermore,
Canadians are watching more and more television programming on the internet. The Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission found, Typical users watched over 3
hours of Internet television per week, an increase from 2.8 hours in 2011. Thirty-three percent of
Canadians watched online television programming, and 4% report only watching this type of
programming. To that same end, 6% of Canadians watched television programming on a tablet
or smartphone and the number of Canadians subscribed to Netflix is increasing in Canada rising
from 10% in 2011 to 17% in 2012. The number of households with Internet-enabled television
has increased dramatically, from 42.6% in 2000 to 84.2% in 2013, and it is expected to continue
to grow reaching 87.8% in 2016. Canadians busy lives leave them strapped for time at home.
Statistics Canada found that, according to the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS), roughly
15.4 million Canadians commuted to work, while 1.1 million worked at home most of the time.
Many of those Canadians who commute face long commutes, which reduces the amount of time
for activities at home. The same National Household Survey found that commuters spend an
average of 24.5 minutes commuting to work, although nearly 18% spend 45 minutes or more.
This leaves Canadians longing for more time to do things at home. According to a survey
conducted by LG Electronics Canada, Canadians would spend more time relaxing with family if
they had more free time, more specifically, at least 47 per cent of Canadian women would
spend an extra two hours with their families compared to 46 per cent of men. There are other
activities that Canadians would take advantage of with a couple extra hours. Napping was
another activity that Canadians long for at home, and 31% of women would take a nap with a
couple of extra hours, while 33% of men would. With a couple extra hours, 27% of women
would use the opportunity to find more intimate time with their partners, while 41% of men would
do the same. While not necessarily a home-based activity, Canadians would read more with a
couple extra hours in each day, and according to the survey 27% of men would read more,
while 54% of women would.
Going Out
Compared to Canadians disposition towards spending on other forms of expenditure, their
desire to spend on entertainment has bounced back healthily since the financial crisis. In 2000
Canadians spent C$39.40 per capita on entertainment, which increased to C$60.1 by 2005. The
economic crisis had an immediate effect on Canadians attitudes to spending on entertainment
per capita expenditure on entertainment dropped 20% to C$48.30 by 2011. However, by 2013
this had increased back to C$49.60 and is expected to continue growing into 2016, when per
capita expenditure on entertainment will reach C$51.90. TeleFilm Canada recently completed a
survey of Canadian moviegoers. The study found that Canadians go to the movies on average
10.9 times per year. In Canada 70% of Canadians go to the movie theatre less than once a
month, while 25% go a few times a month and 5% of Canadians go once a week or more. The
study also found a number of factors that influence the types of movies Canadian consumers
like to watch. On a scale of 1 to 10, the kind of movie (e.g. science fiction, drama, comedy) is
the most important criterion for Canadians when deciding on whether or not to view a film with
an average score of 8.1. The topic, story, facts or book that inspired the movie is the next most
important criterion for Canadians, with a score of 7.3, according to the study. This is followed by
word of mouth, recommendations from family/friends with a score of 7.2, then the cast of the
movie with a score of 6.8, and then whether or not the film has positive reviews in the media.
Given the fact that Canadians prefer to buy Canadian when they can, it is surprising that when it
comes to movies, it seems to matter very little. For Canadians in general, whether or not a film
is Canadian received a score of 3.8 out of 10 for its importance when choosing a movie, while
for Quebeckers that figure was 4.3. There is a sense of renewed interest in museums in
Canada, with several Canadian museums even gaining greater notoriety and custom from
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foreign visitors. A recent article from The Star notes, For the 2013 calendar year, the Art
Gallery of Ontario (AGO) drew 852,904 visitors, as compared to just under 800,000 in 2012: a
huge jump from its anaemic 2011 figure (627,453). The AGOs performance over its 2013/14
fiscal year, which ended on March 31, was 861,991, even better than the calendar number.
Furthermore, Canadas best performer in terms of attendance is the Montreal Museum of Fine
Arts, which attracted 1,015,022 visitors in 2013. Across all types of museums, the most
frequented museum in Canada in 2012 was the Ontario Science Centre with 1.2 million guests,
with summer attendance hitting record highs in recent years. Theme parks are also an important
way for Canadians to get out of the house. Among the top 20 most frequented amusement
parks in North America, only one Canadian amusement park makes the list. Canadas
Wonderland in Maple, Ontario is ranked 15th in North America with 3,655,000 visitors in 2012,
an increase of 5% over the previous year.
Museums go live on social media Like kids all over, there comes a point in adolescent
Canadians lives, when going to the museum is not seen as being cool. Museums in Canada are
looking for ways to reconnect with tech-savvy Canadians later on in their lives, especially young
adults. The Canadian Heritage Information Network has noted the trend among Canadians and
Canadian museums, Museums anticipate that they will at some point say goodbye to visitors
during their teenage years, and start welcoming them back well into adulthood. The allure of
capturing the imagination of this elusive young adult demographic is that much stronger in this
age of social media and mobile, where the connections and information sharing between
millennials are a massive reservoir of energy. Since 2013 the Canadian Museum of Nature has
been hosting Nature Nocturne (#NatureNocturne) nights during which the Museum stays open
late and offers visitors, a night of DJs, dance floors, bars, art installations and food. All of the
galleries and programming are still available, but it proposes a much different experience for a
more mature audience by letting them act their age. The Canadian Museum of Nature is not
alone, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and Royal Ontario Museum among others are
tapping into the social media trend and looking to get Canadian young adults into their
museums. The experiences the museums hope to offer are highly intertwined with social media,
in the hopes of connecting with young adult Canadians who are connected and eager to share
their experiences over social media. For these events, the museums have ensured that their
websites are mobile-friendly and have tools built into their pages to facilitate sharing via
Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Additionally, the museums are creating
tools such as real-time photo walls inside the museum to share the museum-goers photos that
use the hashtag associated with the event, such as #NatureNocturne. Furthermore, Canadian
Heritage Information Network says, the addition of digital signage, QR code art installations
exploring the human genome, mobile scavenger hunts not to mention the slew of everchanging physical offerings and activities like themed drinks and food, new musical acts, artists,
and crafts appeals to the potential return visitor with fresh offerings.
Rural arts get a bump Going out and enjoying the performing arts is easy enough for
Canadians who live close to urban centres, but it is much less easy for those Canadians who
live in more rural areas. Nevertheless, there is a desire for greater access to arts in less
urbanised communities, and the Canadian government is taking steps to help develop rural
theatre in order to meet the desire for performing arts. The Canadian government has just lent
its support to the first Symposium for the Performing Arts in Rural Communities. The goal of the
symposium is to, bring together presenters, producers and creators from across Central and
Eastern Ontario, as well as other regions of Canada, to discuss the business of performing arts
presentation and how to grow and sustain the performing arts in rural settings. Canadians from
rural communities will be looking to enjoy more theatre that draws on their performing traditions
and brings it to a greater national stage with improved production, while Canadians more
generally will see it as an opportunity to explore the culture of much beloved parts of rural
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Canada. Canadians in rural communities also increasingly see the arts as a way to invigorate
their communities, especially as the economic landscape of rural Canada is changing. Fogo
Island is an excellent example of this. The small island community once thrived on its fishing
industry, but since that has ceased to be fruitful, the island community sees the arts as a way to
generate revenue and share their identity. Zita Cobb is a Fogo Island resident who left the island
for some time before returning to promote arts and social activities on the island. In a recent
interview she said, Im passionate about finding new ways to secure the future of this powerful,
special place we call home. I strongly believe our communitys survival hinges on our ability to
build on who we are and put our heritage to work. Together with partners like ACOA, we can
become a leader among rural communities by finding new ways to sustain our local culture,
environment, and economy. Canadians in rural communities will be eagerly creating
opportunities to reinvigorate their communities and share their perspectives with other
Canadians and with the world.
Sport and Fitness Regardless of the fact that Canada has lost some of its major sportsmen
and women to the United States, Canadians remain avid sports fans. After a long period being
stuck as an average team, the Toronto Raptors had an excellent season that brought great
excitement to Canadian fans. For the 2014 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, the
Raptors, who play at the Air Canada Centre, which holds 19,800 seated fans, was at 92.2%
capacity for the entire season. This brought in a total of 748,339 fans over the season in 2014
compared to 743,936 in 2013, or compared to the post-financial crisis low point of 679,208 for
the 2011 season. For the final game of the season there were 10,000 additional spectators
watching the game on screens outside the stadium. The Raptors successfully tapped into
Canadians sense of pride and hardiness as well, with slogans such as Northern Uprising and
We the North in addition to advertisements that showed Canadians playing basketball at all
times of the year and showcased the countrys diversity. Hockey remains the sport that
Canadians are most passionate about and the country has seven teams that are part of the
National Hockey League (NHL). Across the seven teams, stadiums were 100% full for the entire
2013 to 2014 season and a total of 5,319,067 spectators attended 41 home games that each
team plays. Canadians themselves also avidly participate in sports. As previously noted, hockey
is certainly the national sport from a spectator perspective and in terms of national identity.
However, It is not necessarily the most played sport among Canadians. According to Statistics
Canada, twice as many Canadian children play soccer (association football) than hockey, and
soccer is one of the fastest-growing sports in Canada. Currently among adults, golf is the most
popular sport, having seen a large increase in popularity since the mid-90s and stabilising in
terms of popularity during the 2000s. Statistics Canada also made a number of interesting
insights into Canadians attitudes towards sports. Their report found that, men are more likely to
participate in sport on a regular basis than women. In 2010, approximately one-third of
Canadian men and one-sixth of Canadian women regularly participated in sport. Furthermore,
the education levels and income levels of Canadians have a marked effect on their attitudes
towards participating in sport. One-third of Canadians who have graduated from university
practise a sport on a regular basis compared to 22% of those who are in the some
college/trade/high school diploma category. Furthermore, Canadians participation in sport
increases as their income increases. One-third of individuals with a yearly household income
over C$80,000 participate in sports, while less than 10% of those do with a yearly household
income of C$20,000. Canadians are increasingly taking to endurance sports, and even more
niche sports, and the Business Development Bank of Canada notes that, participation has also
increased significantly in other high-intensity activities, including ironman triathlons, obstacle
course races, and themed or charity 5K races.
Canada gets HIIT Across many aspects of Canadians lives, using time effectively is a top
priority. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) means that Canadians can work out in less time
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and achieve results. Jillian Michaels was quoted in Canadian health magazine Best Health
saying, Current research suggests that HIIT is the best way to achieve training improvements
and body change results. Programmes that challenge the body to incur a higher metabolic cost
(calorie burn) during and post-workout (after burn) by using a variety of total body training
methodologies will prove to be winners when it comes to game-changing workouts.
Accordingly, the Canadian gym chain Goodlife has released a workout series in its gym with the
help of Jillian Michaels, called BodyShred. HIIT classes will also be appearing across Canada in
big-box and small-box formats and will satisfy Canadians desire to get an excellent workout in
30 minutes or less.
New horizons for fitness monitors Gone are the days of simple pedometers. Todays activity
monitors are complex devices that are integrated with tools to track data and share fitness
improvements online through social media. The Business Development Bank of Canada notes
that, growing concerns among Canadians about their health, together with the development of
technology, have created a new consumer market for health monitoring equipment and
applications, which has grown significantly in recent years. This is especially true for devices
that intelligently track fitness activity via GPS or that track vital signs, such as body weight, sleep
patterns, heart rate and glucose levels. Canadians increased interest in activity monitors is
borne out of many factors. The quality of the monitors is increasing dramatically. Today fitness
bands, a type of activity tracker, can be innocuous or even fashionable, allowing users to wear
them at all times. The precision of the measurements is increasing, as are the types of
measurements that can be performed. This means that consumers can see energy expenditure
throughout the day, their performance in workouts, and even how they sleep. The activity
monitors can provide reminders to get up and stretch during the day, pushing Canadians to
break their sedentary habits at work. Furthermore, Canadians are interested by the major
technology phenomena of the Quantified Self, Wearable Computers, and the Internet of Things.
The advanced activity trackers of today and the future provide the possibility of linking these
concepts together.
Vacations
Domestic tourism is an important part of the Canadian economy and the way that Canadians
enjoy their free time. According to Scotia Bank, Canadas tourism industry has become
increasingly dependent on domestic tourists for growth. Tourism spending by Canadians
accounted for 80% of total expenditure last year, up from 68% a decade earlier. This appears
to be part of a trend wherein Canada is receiving fewer and fewer foreign tourists, so domestic
tourism is accounting for a larger share of total tourism expenditure. Visitors from the United
States have dropped off significantly and visits from non-United States international visitors
have been stagnant. The primary reason to travel domestically for Canadians is to visit family
and relatives, followed by pleasure and holidays. The primary mode of travel within Canada was
by car or truck, followed by commercial aircraft. With respect to air travel, a recent article from
the Globe and Mail noted that real spending on air travel has increased 29% since 2009 and
has accounted for half of the growth in tourism expenditure. As domestic tourism has garnered a
larger share of the total tourism expenditure, the amount Canadians spend on accommodation
for domestic tourism has increased as well. Between 2000 and 2013 per capita expenditure on
accommodation for domestic tourism rose nearly 23% from C$279.50 to C$343.40 and will
continue rising up to 2016, when it will reach C$391.30. While the balance has shifted for the
relationship between visits from foreigners and domestic travel, even domestic travel has gone
down. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has found that, Canadians love to travel and are
increasingly spending their travel dollars outside the country, contributing to the countrys
C$17.8 billion travel deficit. The travel deficit has ballooned by 736% in a decade, making it the
countrys second highest deficit after manufacturing. This is true to such a degree that Canada
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is now one of the worlds fastest-growing outbound source markets. The Canadian Chamber of
Commerce notes further that, other countries are energetically targeting Canadians to lure
them out of Canada. The US is launching a particularly aggressive campaign for Canadian
travellers. Between 2011 and 2012 Canadians annual outbound international overnight trips
increased 7% to reach 32.3 million in 2012. The majority of those trips are to the United States,
with 22.7 million trips made by Canadians to the United States, up nearly 9% from the previous
year. Nearly 9.6 million of those trips were to overseas destinations. When Canadians travel
overseas, their top three favourite destinations are Mexico with 1.6 million visits from
Canadians, Cuba with 1.1 million visits, and the UK with also nearly 1.1 million visits. Among the
top 10 overseas destinations, Canadians tend to stay between eight and 12 days. A major
exception in terms of the average trip length is China, which received 314,000 overnight trips
from Canada but for which the average duration of the stay was a whopping 21 days.
Public Holidays, Celebrations and Gift-giving Canada has five nationwide statutory holidays.
New Years Day is observed January 1, then Good Friday which is the first Friday before Easter
Day, followed by Canada Day on July 1, then Labour Day on the first Monday of September,
with the year ending with Christmas on December 25. There are also holidays for federal
employees, during which banks close and which certain provinces observe as statutory
holidays. Canadas federal holidays are Easter Monday (in lieu of Good Friday), Victoria Day,
which is held on Monday on or before May 24, Canadian Thanksgiving held on the second
Monday in October, Remembrance Day held on November 11, and finally Boxing Day, which is
held on December 26. Canadas diversity means that many people also have traditions and
holidays from their home country or ancestors that they continue to celebrate. Popular examples
include Diwali, Hanukkah, Eid, Ramadan, Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year. Under most
circumstances, employers and schools are required to accommodate periods of religious
observance that are not normally recognised as federal or provincial statutory holidays.
Canadian-Lawyer.ca explains further, Provinces and territories in Canada generally have
Human Rights Codes which give every person the right to equal treatment with respect to
religion. In cases involving religious holidays, the courts have interpreted this right as requiring
Canadian employers to accommodate their employees' religious beliefs, unless doing so creates
undue hardship. Christmas is the largest gift-giving period during the calendar year. In 2013
Canadians were more optimistic than previous years, but are still spending less than their
American counterparts. According to a Deloitte report prepared just before the holiday season,
Canadians have come to terms with the new normal of modest growth, and that while the
majority of Canadians foresaw themselves spending as much as previous Christmases, in
practice this means that Canadians spending inches up slightly. Their report also found that
Canadians are shopping earlier for the holidays and looking at more online shopping options
during the holidays as well. To that end, NewsWire.ca notes, During the period between
December 21 and December 24, 2013, year-in-year in-store spending in Canada dropped
slightly, by -2.02 per cent, while online spending grew 2.81 per cent. This may suggest a
continuing shift away from traditional in-store purchasing toward online shopping.
Valentines Day, St Patricks Day, Halloween, Mothers Day, and Fathers Day are not
considered statutory holidays in any Canadian province, but they are a time of celebration for
Canadians. Valentines Day is an important gift-giving day for many Canadian couples, as well
as being a day when Canadian couples treat themselves to a nice dinner and night out.
Canadians in 2014 tended to spend less on Valentines Day than Americans, however.
According to a recent survey from RetailMeNot.ca, 7% of Canadians planned on spending more
than C$100, while 69% planned on spending C$26 to C$99, and 24% planned on spending
C$25 or less. Comparatively, Americans were more inclined to spend for Valentines Day and
33% of Americans planned on spending more than US$100, while 47% planned on spending
US$26 to US$99, and 20% planned on spending US$25 or less. Mothers Day and Fathers Day
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are also important holidays for Canadians, although a recent poll from RetailMeNot.ca finds that
mums slightly edge out dads for popularity. The poll found that, Seventy-one per cent of
Canadian respondents aged 18 to 54 plan to celebrate Mother's Day, while only 57 per cent will
observe Father's Day, that's less than the 61 per cent who commemorate Canada Day.
Furthermore, in terms of what Canadians spend on Mothers Day or Fathers Day, 26% of
Canadians prefer to spend more on mum than dad.
Canadians enjoy celebrating St Patricks Day as well and 14% of Canadians have some Irish
ancestry. Participation in St Patricks Day is less widespread than other holidays and a recent
Canada.com article quotes a Leger Poll that found that, just three in 10 people plan to celebrate
St Patricks Day on Monday, and among the minority intending to mark the occasion, only 39
per cent say theyll do so with alcohol. Halloween is also an important holiday for Canadians
and it transcends many of Canadas cultural groups. Given that the holiday entails both getting
costumes for children as well as having candy available for children, Canadians spend
significant amounts of money on Halloween. According to the Star, spending for Halloween is
second only to Christmas. Furthermore, Canadians spent C$70 on Halloween costumes, candy
and parties in 2013, according to Yahoo Finance.
Canadian Black Friday finds its stride
For many years Boxing Day sales dominated the landscape of Canadian retail discounts.
However, a number of factors have influenced Canadian consumers to participate in Black
Friday sales in the United States. For instance, 90% of Canadians live less than 160 kilometres
from the border with the United States, so Canadians can easily cross the border for a day of
heavily discounted shopping. The Canadian dollar has also been strong in recent years,
meaning that Canadians have more purchasing power on the other side of the border.
Furthermore, many of the items that Canadian consumers want to buy are more expensive in
Canada than they are in the United States. This has created a set of incentives for Canadian
consumers to go across the border into the United States for Black Friday, and it was only in
2007 that Canada began to compete by offering its own Black Friday. Over the years
Canadians eagerness to partake in Canadian Black Friday has been relatively weak.
Nevertheless, the phenomenon has been gaining traction in the last couple of years and is set
to take off with Canadian consumers in 2014. The number of Canadian retailers who are
participating is deepening and 2013 saw major retailers such as Best Buy Canada and
FutureShop join the ranks of retailers that offer Black Friday deals. Furthermore, there has been
talk of the Canadian dollar weakening, which creates a disincentive for shopping in the United
States. The difference in prices has also been coming down between the United States and
Canada. According to the Globe and Mail, prices were 24% higher in Canada in 2007 compared
to only 10% in 2013. As Canadian retailers improve their participation in in Black Friday and
Canadian consumers see a changing set of economic incentives, Canada can expect to see
more Canadians than ever for Black Friday in 2014.
Getting off of the beaten path As a matter of disposition, many Canadian young adults are
adventurous. Rather than take the comfy trips to the United States or Europe that their parents
sought, they are seeking more exotic locations. This taken in addition to the possibility of a
weakening Canadian dollar means that exotic destinations are prime for tourism. The tourism
authority of Thailand has prepared a comprehensive survey looking at Canadian consumers
outbound travel tendencies with an emphasis on examining travel to developing countries. The
survey found that, there is growing interest to lesser-known and off-the beaten path
destinations that offer authentic experiences, incredible cultural history, and less-developed (or
less commercial) tourism infrastructures such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Nepal,
Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Philippines. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Philippines will be
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particularly interesting for adventurous Canadian travellers, as they have some of the most
attractive prices for lodging for Canadians according to the Canadian division Hotels.com.
The World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE) has observed,
Todays youth is clearly a generation of global travellers. Southern and Northern Europe remain
the top two destination regions but have dropped back slightly. In contrast, the Americas, Asia
Pacific and Africa have grown strongly in popularity over the last decade. Young people are
travelling more to long-haul destinations. Moreover, there is an attractive financial benefit for
destinations attracting young visitors. WYSE has also found that as low-cost hotels increase in
number and quality, younger travellers are increasingly happy to stay in low-cost hotels.
Table 8
Leisure and Recreation Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Ownership of household
durables by type
- Colour TV set (% of
households)
- Cable TV (% of
households)
- Satellite TV system
(% of households)
- Internet enabled
computer (% of
households)
- Mobile telephone (%
of households)
- Video games console
(% of households)
Consumer expenditure on
leisure and recreation
(C$ per
capia, at constant
prices)
- Audio-Visual,
photographic
And information
processing
equipment
- Other major durables
for recreation and
culture
- Other recreational
items and
equipment, gardens and
pets
- Recreational and
cultural services
- Newspapers, magazines,
books and stationery
Domestic tourism
receipts and expenditure
- Accommodation
- Entertainment
- Excursions
- Food
- Shopping
- Travel within the
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
98.9
99.0
99.0
99.1
99.1
99.1
72.4
65.4
65.5
65.7
66.0
66.4
8.5
22.6
21.9
22.0
22.6
24.3
42.6
64.3
80.5
83.0
84.2
87.8
41.8
64.2
79.4
81.9
84.1
89.1
19.2
24.3
21.6
21.0
20.9
20.2
524.5
534.8
529.0
550.4
561.7
607.3
215.1
231.8
229.8
233.2
236.1
248.8
487.8
527.7
580.1
589.3
597.7
630.0
1,102.1
1,157.7
1,189.0
1,178.2
1,181.9
1,205.6
241.6
243.0
218.6
218.5
217.6
220.4
279.5
39.4
20.3
138.2
74.2
326.1
243.9
60.1
23.5
158.5
81.4
396.9
312.9
48.0
20.5
146.3
68.8
442.0
319.0
48.3
20.7
149.7
68.6
460.5
343.4
49.6
21.3
156.3
69.9
490.9
391.3
51.9
23.4
169.8
72.1
560.6
51
country
- Other domestic
tourist expenditure
Outgoing tourism
receipts and expenditure
- Accommodation
- Entertainment
- Excursions
- Food
- Shopping
- Travel within the
country
- Other outgoing
tourist expenditure
Departures by mode of
transport
- Air ('000)
- Land ('000)
- Rail ('000)
- Sea ('000)
Demand factors
- Annual leave
entitlement (days)
Source:
Chart 8
Source:
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61.6
32.6
14.9
15.0
15.4
16.4
114.0
53.7
20.1
127.4
60.4
281.7
116.9
65.0
20.2
123.6
65.0
269.4
156.8
70.5
22.3
146.1
72.6
324.8
164.2
76.4
22.4
152.6
85.8
341.8
171.7
81.0
22.8
160.0
93.9
354.8
197.0
112.1
23.9
180.7
122.6
380.3
25.2
25.3
27.6
34.9
37.5
58.9
9,887.9
8,695.0
485.2
113.8
11,185.6
9,282.6
500.9
129.9
15,708.5
13,446.4
706.1
175.7
17,069.9
14,743.4
770.3
191.6
18,328.2
15,799.3
818.9
206.4
20,846.4
18,285.9
900.2
217.0
23
25
25
26
Percentage of Households in Possession of Cable TV; Satellite TV System;

Internet Enabled Computer; Mobile Telephone; Video Games Console 20002016
GETTING AROUND
Private Transport The level of car ownership in terms of the percentage of households in
possession of a car is in decline. Over the 2000 to 2013 period, the percentage of households in
possession of a car fell from 64.2% in 2000 to 60.2% in 2013. This is expected to go up slightly
in 2016 to reach 60.7%. While the percentage of households with a car has been decreasing,
52
due to Canadas increasing population, the number of passenger cars in use has increased
roughly 41% during the 2000 to 2013 period. In 2000 the number of passenger cars in use was
10.75 million and by 2013 the number had reached 15.2 million. Interestingly, the number of
passenger cars during the early part of the decade grew more incrementally, increasing 8.6%
between 2000 and 2005, while in the period between 2005 and 2011 the number of cars grew
by a considerable 24%. The continued increase in the number of passenger vehicles in use
means that Canadians have continued to buy cars, and auto sales have even increased during
the typically slow winter months, with Canada experiencing a 2.4% increase in auto sales in
February 2014. When it comes to the types of vehicles that Canadians are inclined to buy, light
trucks and imports lead the way and are currently up 6% in 2014, according to Desrosiers
Automotive Reports. Nevertheless, the decreasing percentage of Canadian households reflects
a changing attitude among Canadian consumers as they become less and less attached to the
need to have a vehicle. Throughout the worlds richest countries, Canada included, the desire to
have a car is decreasing. A recent article from the Economist notes, in the rich world the cars
previously inexorable rise is stalling. A growing body of academics cite the possibility that both
car ownership and vehicle-kilometres driven may be reaching saturation in developed countries,
or even be on the wane, a notion known as peak car. This is reflected by the fact that more
young people than ever are putting off getting their licences, when previous generations of
Canadians would try to get their drivers licence as soon as they could. Car-share programmes
have also changed Canadians relationships with car ownership. Car-share programmes allow
Canadians to pay a membership fee and an hourly fee to borrow a car for as long as they need
it. Afterwards, the car is returned to a designated location or can even be parked near your
home, depending on the car share service. Car-sharing services have grown considerably in
their popularity, and Kevin McLaughlin, the owner of AutoShare, recently commented on the
Canadian car-sharing phenomenon in Toronto alone stating, I dont think its a stretch to say
there are 40,000 people in Toronto using shared vehicles in one way or another. In seven years,
it is up from 2,500. The only exception to declining car ownership is when it comes to rural
areas, where car ownership is actually growing, as public transportation infrastructure tends to
be lacking, and the distances are great so car ownership is still tightly linked to independence
and mobility. The percentage of households that possess a motorcycle in Canada has doubled
between 2000 and 2013, rising from 2.3% in 2000 to 4.2% in 2013, and it is expected to reach
4.5% by 2016. While the percentage of households that possess a motorcycle has increased, it
is nonetheless clear that motorcycles still account for only a small fraction of private
transportation. Harsh winters and a perception of motorcycles being unsafe among Canadians
stifle more widespread adoption. At the same time, increasing gas prices for all Canadians and
parking availability for urban Canadians means that there are also aspects that attract
Canadians to motorcycles. Bicycles are both a means of transport and leisure for Canadians.
The percentage of households that owned a bicycle increased from 56% to 62.1% between
2000 and 2013. By 2016 it is expected to reach 62.9%. While the percentage of households with
a bicycle is goi
Public Transport Major Canadian cities are served by public transportation systems that
encompass a number of different modes of public transportation. Most major Canadian cities
have some form of subway or light rail system that works in conjunction with the bus system.
Travel by bus, subway, light rail and streetcar is very popular in major Canadian cities and is
typically second only to traveling by car or carpooling. As cities have grown in size, they have
often outgrown the public transportation systems that were traditionally at the core of the cities.
Commuters in Toronto, for example, have been using GO Transit services in increasing
numbers. GO Transit links the large suburbs that form the Greater Toronto Area to the
downtown by using a mix of buses and trains, and ridership increased by 19% between 2008
and 2012. For covering longer distances by rail, Canadians use the Via Rail passenger train
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service. Trains usage is generally decreasing. The number of kilometres travelled by train
decreased nearly 29% between 2000 and 2013, from 52.5 kilometres per capita in 2000 to 37.4
kilometres per capita in 2013. Throughout that time, the number of passengers has remained
the same at roughly 4 million passengers per year. With the emergence of more low-cost flights
as well as the expansion of low-cost bus services such as Megabus, the train is being
challenged on all fronts. Time-strapped Canadians will often elect to take the plane, especially
as costs have approached those of the train. More frugal Canadians and those with more time
will be more inclined to take a low-cost bus. Where the train excels with Canadians is in tapping
into a sense of what something that is authentically Canadian, and taking the time to appreciate
Canadas vast and beautiful landscape. A recent article from Canada.com notes, Gordon
Lightfoot sang about the Canadian railroads for a reason: rail travel is somehow quintessentially
Canadian, in many ways a link to the early days of the country.
Commuting According to Canadas statistical agency, The longest average travel times in
CMAs were in Toronto (32.8 minutes), Oshawa (31.8 minutes) and Montreal (29.7 minutes).
Comparatively, in the United States in 2011, the longest average travel times were reported in
the New York - Northern New Jersey - Long Island metropolitan area (34.7 minutes) and the
Washington - Arlington - Alexandria metropolitan area (33.8 minutes). Furthermore, commuting
trends are clearly divided along rural-urban lines for Canadians, and even Canadians living in
largely but less densely populated cities tend to commute by car rather than public
transportation, bicycle or walking. For instance, Canadas largest and most densely populated
cities are Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. These are also the cities that have by far the
highest percentages of people that commute by public transportation. Toronto has a population
density of 4,150 people per square kilometre and 23% of people commute to work using public
transportation, which is the highest rate in the nation. Montreal is similar, with 4,517 people per
square kilometre and 22.2% of people who commute to work using public transportation.
Vancouver has the highest population density for a major city in the country at 5,249 people per
square kilometre and 19.7% of people commute to work using public transportation. Canadas
capital and fourth largest city is Ottawa; although the citys entire area is quite large and less
densely populated, the downtown core is densely populated with 3,269 people per square
kilometre, with 20% of people commuting. Canadas large but less densely populated cities such
as Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg have fewer commuters using public transportation at
15.9%, 11.3% and 13.4%, respectively. Aside from Halifax, the Atlantic Provinces have less
than 5% of commuters who use public transportation. Interestingly, while public transportation
usage rates are low in the Atlantic provinces, it is the top region for car-pooling, with at least
22% of people car-pooling. Canadas suburbs are increasingly connected to its major cities,
which has implications for Canadian commuters. Many of the systems designed to bring
commuters in from the suburbs have been very successful with commuters. Torontos GO
Transit is one clear example. GO Transit provides a mix of train and bus service to bring
commuters in from the more distant suburbs. During the period of 2008 to 2013, ridership grew
by over 19%, and for the 2012/2013 period GO Transit carried over 65 million people.
Canadians have many options when it comes to paying for public transportation. Vancouver,
Toronto and Montreal serve as great examples, for the types of payment and costs that
Canadians face in cities where public transportation is commonly used for commuting.
Vancouvers public transportation system is based on zones, so there is a range of prices for
commuters; prices begin at C$91 per month or C$1,092 per year and go up to C$170 per month
for a total C$2,040 per year. In Toronto, a monthly pass for adults is C$133, although there is a
discounted yearly rate that works out to C$1,470 per year, or C$122.50 per month. Monthly
passes are most affordable in Montreal, where they run at C$79.95 per month. Students benefit
from special rates in most cities. In the case of Vancouver, university students have a very low
monthly rate of C$35 per month. In Toronto prices are still high, at C$108 per month, or total of
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C$1,176 with an extra yearly discount. Montreal boasts low prices for students, with monthly
passes at C$47.25 and four-month passes for C$180. When it comes to commuting by bicycle,
Victoria, British Columbia is the home to the highest percentage of bicycle commuters. In
Victoria, nearly 6% of people commute by bicycle and another 10% walk. No other Canadian
city comes even close to Victorias 6%, and the next nearest city in terms of the percentage of
people that commute by bicycle is Ottawa at 2.4%. Outsid
Air Travel
On the whole, Canadian per capita expenditure on air travel has been fairly constant, falling
less than 1% between 2000 and 2013, from C$335.10 in 2000 to C$334.10 in 2013. However,
there have been significant ups and downs during that period. Between 2000 and 2005 per
capita expenditure on air travel fell by almost 9% to C$305.10, but recovered strongly to reach
C$326.70 by 2011. Stronger growth is expected in the coming years such that per capita
expenditure on air travel will reach C$352.40 in 2016. While per capita expenditure has been
stagnant, the number of kilometres travelled by air increased 15% between 2000 and 2013. The
number of passengers carried on scheduled airlines has also showed strong growth reflecting
consumer demand, rising 90% from 41.768 million in 2000 to 79.329 million in 2013. Per capita
expenditure has been able to remain stagnant while the number of passengers and distances
increased, thanks in part to the success of low-cost carriers, which Canadians have eagerly
adopted. Between 2011 and 2012 Canadians annual outbound international overnight trips
increased by 7% to reach 32.3 million in 2012. The majority of those trips are to the United
States with 22.7 million trips made by Canadians to the United States, up nearly 9% from the
previous year. Nearly 9.6 million of those trips were to overseas destinations. When Canadians
travel overseas, their top three favourite destinations are Mexico, with 1.6 million visits from
Canadians, Cuba with 1.1 million visits and the UK with also nearly 1.1 million visits. Among the
top 10 overseas destinations, Canadians tend to stay between eight and 12 days. A major
exception in terms of the average trip length is China, which received 314,000 overnight trips
from Canada but for which the average duration of the stay was a whopping 21 days.
Bicycle commuters finally increase The number of Canadians who bicycle to work has stayed
the same during the 2006 to 2011 period, which represents the period of the two most complete
censuses in Canada. Many Canadians find it bewildering that there has been no growth in terms
of bicycle commuters. Bicycle companies seem to be trying harder than ever to market cool
bikes to urban consumers. Nevertheless, the lack of quality bicycle infrastructure in many of
Canadas cities is to blame for the lack of cyclist commuters. Across the nation, however, there
are initiatives in nearly every Canadian city to build more bike lanes, which help keep cyclists
safer and incite more people to commute by bike. Nevertheless, harsh Canadian winters will
always be a reality for Canadian commuters, so that will limit commuting by bicycle to a certain
extent, but more Canadians will likely be taking to the streets on a bicycle during the nicer
months of the year than ever.
Ultra low-cost takes off in Canada Low-cost carriers such as WestJet have been a huge hit
with Canadians. The airline was modelled on the American low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines
and the company has experienced a tremendous increase in popularity since it began in 1996.
The company also garnered considerable social media attention during Christmas 2013 with a
Christmas Miracle viral video that received over 35 million views on YouTube. While
companies like WestJet have had great success, Canadians have still been longing for a
Ryanair-style ultra-low cost Airline. In 2014, Canadians in Western Canada will get what they
have been asking for. In the autumn of 2014, a new company called Jetlines will be launching
an ultra-low cost service. Jetlines notes that in its research it found that, what we discovered
through our research is that every year five million Canadians cross the border into the US to
get low airfares. Business in Vancouver has noted that, Backers of Jetlines, in contrast,
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believe their proposed ultra-low-cost carrier can tap demand for flights within western Canada.
Jetlines ultra-low cost model will allow Canadian consumers to fly with basic ticket prices 40%
to 50% below the prices of major carriers.
Table 9
Transport Data: 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Consumer expenditure on
transport services (C$
per capita, at constant
prices)
- Consumer expenditure
on rail travel (C$ per
capita, at constant
prices)
on buses, coaches and
taxis
(C$ per capita, at
constant prices)
on air
travel (C$ per capita, at
constant prices)
on other travel (C$ per
capita, at constant
prices)
Possession of bicycle
(% of households)
Possession of
motorcycle (% of
households)
Possession of passenger
car (% of households)
Km travelled by road
(km per capita)
Km travelled by rail
(km per capita)
Km travelled by air (km
per capita)
Passenger cars in use
('000)
Passengers carried by
rail (mn)
Scheduled airlines:
Passengers carried ('000)
Source:
Chart 9
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
3,674.7
3,829.3
3,843.1
3,851.2
3,884.8
4,054.3
8.4
9.0
10.3
10.5
10.7
11.4
128.8
135.8
154.8
157.7
160.8
172.2
335.1
305.1
326.7
329.8
334.1
352.4
40.9
35.2
37.6
37.9
38.4
40.5
56.0
59.0
61.6
61.9
62.1
62.9
2.3
3.0
4.0
4.1
4.2
4.5
64.2
61.7
59.8
60.0
60.2
60.7
5,500.8
4,975.6
6,459.6
6,653.0
6,925.3
52.5
45.8
39.4
38.2
37.4
2,940.3
2,936.3
3,359.4
3,334.9
3,393.6
10,754
11,676
14,511
14,839
15,201
4.3
4.3
4.1
4.0
4.0
41,768
45,230
70,254
73,574
79,329

Consumer Expenditure on Transport Services and Purchase of Cars,
Motorcycles and other Vehicles 2000-2016
56
Source:
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57

Consumer Lifestyles in Canada 2014

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CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

Consumer Segmentation and Population Data 2000, 2005, 2011,

Housing and Households ........................................................................................................... 13

Money and Savings .................................................................................................................... 20

Eating and Drinking .................................................................................................................... 25

Grooming and Fashion ............................................................................................................... 29

Health and Wellness .................................................................................................................. 34

Shopping Habits ......................................................................................................................... 40

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

Personal Shopping ................................................................................................................. 41

Shopping Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................. 43

Leisure and Recreation .............................................................................................................. 44

Getting Around ........................................................................................................................... 52

Transport Data: 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................ 56

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

Babies/infants (aged 02) ('000)

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

National statistics, Euromonitor International

Population Aged 15-64 Compared with Old-Age Dependency Ratio 20002020

HOUSING AND HOUSEHOLDS

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

National statistics, Euromonitor International

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

Number of Households by Disposable Income Bracket 2005, 2010, 2016

MONEY AND SAVINGS

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

Loans and Mortgages

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

National statistics, Euromonitor International

EATING AND DRINKING

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

Poutine from coast-to-coast the Quebecker classic goes nationwide

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

C$ per capita, at constant prices

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

National statistics, Euromonitor International

Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth in

GROOMING AND FASHION

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN CANADA