Blitz Magazine

Retail trade, August 2015 Released: 2015-10-22 Retail sales $43.6 billion August 2015 0.5% (monthly change) Source(s): CANSIM table 080-0020 . Retail sales rose for the fourth consecutive month, advancing 0.5% to $43.6 billion in August. The increase was led by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers. Excluding this subsector, retail sales were flat. Sales increased in 4 of 11 subsectors, representing 56% of retail trade. In volume terms, retail sales increased 0.7%. New car dealers lead gain Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers increased for the seventh consecutive month, rising 2.0% in August. Sales at new car dealers increased 1.7%, reflecting a higher number of new trucks sold. These gains were concentrated in Quebec and Ontario. Used car dealers reported their 9th increase in 10 months, rising 5.5%. Higher sales were also reported at other motor vehicle dealers (+4.8%), which include retailers of recreational vehicles, motorcycles and boats...

While Canadians are still value-minded in store aisles, the desire for new products is becoming an increasingly influential factor in making purchase decisions, according to BrandSpark’s 2015 Canadian Shopper Study. The survey, done in conjuction with the voting for BrandSpark’s annual Best New Product Awards, asked over 65,000 Canadians identified as having a key role in household purchase decisions about their shopping habits. The desire for new products is strong among Canadians, with 78% saying they like trying them and 60% saying they believed new products were superior to old ones. Millennials, perhaps unsurprisingly, have the strongest interest in new products, with 85% saying they were interested in trying them, although 69% of seniors say the same. “Canadians always want to save money and get the best deals, but there’s a little more willingness to pay for that premium,” says Philip Scrutton, director of consumer insight at BrandSpark. “That’s always been there, but...

Zoomer ladies love to travel, browse the net, eschew nostalgia, and other interesting stats on this prime demographic. By Jennifer Lomax Zoomer has become the term of choice to describe people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who want to remain socially and culturally engaged and active. As with millennials, the demographic and sociographic profile of Zoomers is somewhat grey. And, many of the briefs that pass through Harbinger are focused on the under-45 woman (perhaps rightly so), but what if I told you that zoomers have more in common with young singles than you might think? Given the large, growing zoomer population and other macro trends pertaining to women in the workforce and having children later in life, this segment is worth a closer look. Consider this: There are more than eight million women over the age of 45 in Canada, representing more than 45% of the total female population; women 55+ represent more than 30% of Canadian women This segment is t...

As marketers, we often define our female consumer target with the usual demographics: her age, her career orientation, household income. But what if, instead of characterizing a female consumer by her own age, we considered the age of her children? Statistics prove that motherhood in North America is not a one-age-fits-all milestone. Specifically, the age of mom when this life-changing event takes place differs by geography and is rising over time. Did you know: The mean age for a mother to birth her first child differs between the U.S. (25) and Canada (28) T he percent of births to mothers over 30 year s old varies substantially across Canada, from 36% in Saskatchewan to 56% in Ontario. The rate of births to mothers over 30 years old has risen about 250% since the ’70s. And as mom’s age at childbirth varies across women, so too does the age of her children; and it should be no surprise that the age of her children has a substantial ...

Sales by commodity, all retail stores – Seasonally unadjusted – millions of dollars Second quarter 2013 r | First quarter 2014 r | Second quarter 2014 p | Second quarter 2013 to second quarter 2014 % change Commodity, total 126,417 106,885 132,939 5.2 Food and beverages 28,299 26,173 29,387 3.8 Health and personal care products 10,735 10,734 11,325 5.5 Clothing, footwear and accessories 9,246 7,255 9,677 4.7 Furniture, home furnishings and electronics 8,822 8,204 8,977 1.8 Motor vehicles, parts and services 30,156 22,406 31,703 5.1 Automotive fuels, oils and additives 13,978 14,451 15,69...