Shoppers’ Choice: The Evolution of Retailing in the Digital Age

Shoppers’ Online Choices Transform Retail

• The proliferation of online shopping choices for Canadian consumers is driving the evolution of the retail sector and spurring new forms of competition, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute.
• Author Daniel Schwanen examines the rise of e-commerce, which was growing rapidly before the imposition of COVID-19-related public health measures and has since provided a lifeline to Canadian retailers during the pandemic.
• The author explains that e-commerce, which refers to the buying and selling of retail products via the internet, has illuminated the demand for “omnichannel” retail as consumers become accustomed to the convenience of using different modes of buying. As well, the popularity of pickup services has challenged the notion of what consumers want – with consumers picking up a product in store and physical stores experiencing stronger growth in click-and-collect formats relative to delivery during the pandemic.