The pandemic has forced Canadians to change their shopping habits according to Deloitte’s annual retail outlook.
Deloitte New Brunswick and PEI managing partner Steve Lund says almost half of those surveyed have been doing more shopping online since COVID-19 began.
“It was happening before COVID. COVID was a catalyst, it made it happen faster but it was happening anyway.”
But he says bricks-and-mortar stores are not done yet.
“Consumers are still willing to pay a premium for a great experience and a premium product.”
Lund notes how the “love local” trend is a real thing and a positive reason why people would visit local stores.
Not surprisingly, Lund says younger consumers prefer shopping online compared to their older counterparts.
The survey showed a big drop in researching products in-store compared to online and he thinks COVID-19 is partly responsible but this is also part of an overall bigger trend.
About 25 percent of respondents have also been taking advantage of delivery services.
Lund adds 62 percent of Canadians say public health measures surrounding COVID-19 are extremely important when shopping in-store.
