Last week, Think with Google Canada released new insights on the consumer journeys Canadians are taking amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsurprisingly, consumption and buying habits have shifted drastically in the last eight months. With most of the country experiencing a second wave of infections, these trends are expected to continue, if not accelerate, with implications for the digital marketing industry.

The first set of data pertains to shopping trip behaviour. Seventy-nine per cent of Canadians are shopping at stores that carry a variety of items, 66 per cent are limiting their shopping to a single store, and 82 per cent still prefer to shop in-store rather than online. In other words, brick-and-mortar retailers aren’t dead, and Canadians are eager to keep them alive. If your business includes physical retail locations, emphasize that you are still open, with necessary health restrictions in place.

The second data set pertains to online research before purchasing. Although Canadians still prefer to make purchases in-store, much of their browsing is now taking place online. Globally, “in stock” searches have grown 700%. In Canada, 58 per cent of shoppers are conducting product research online only. These metrics highlight the importance of keeping your online properties, particularly inventories, up to date. If Canadians are going to make a trip to a physical retail location, they want to know that the item they’re looking for is in stock.

The third set of data pertains to Canadians’ growing concern for safety and efficiency. Around the world, searches for “curbside pickup” are up a staggering 3,000 per cent, and searches for “click + collect” are up 600 per cent. Some businesses are struggling to keep up with the surge of online demand; nearly a third of Canadians (31 per cent) have faced online ordering issues during the pandemic.

In other words, Canadian consumer behaviours have changed, and the businesses that best adapt to those changes will be the ones to survive the pandemic. As a Google Premier Partner digital marketing agency, GrowthEngine Media will do everything in its power to ensure that your business is ready for the new normal. Contact us to learn more.

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