There’s good news for brands trying to fend off the American invasion: a strong majority of Canadians (92%) make a point of buying Canadian brands and products. Of that number, 25% said “always” and 67% said “sometimes.”
The top five products that Canadians are most likely to purchase from Canadian producers are food (87%), beer (46%), clothing (45%), furniture (38%) and wine (34%), according to the survey of 1,100 Canadians by Ebates.ca, a cash-back shopping site. Respondents were less likely to buy Canadian electronics, appliances and cars.
When asked to define what makes a brand Canadian, the majority of respondents said “most of the brand’s products are made in Canada (68%),” followed by “most of the brand’s workforce is based in Canada” (57%).
“For most people, their reason for buying Canadian products is pragmatic,” said Adrienne Down Coulson, general manager, Ebates Canada. “People like they’re supporting the Canadian economy and they’re keeping jobs in Canada.” In fact, 77% of respondents said they buy Canadian to support the economy, while 66% said they want to help keep jobs in Canada.
The survey also found the older people get, the more loyal they are to homegrown brands. The 45+ crowd is the most likely to buy Canadian brands: 95% versus 89% of those 35-44 and 88% of those under 35. Regionally, people in Quebec and Nova Scotia are most likely to say they always make a point of buying Canadian.
Fifty-six percent of males are more likely to purchase Canadian beer, and 49% of females are more likely to support Canadian clothing brands than the opposite sex.
Canadians love for homegrown brands “is something [marketers] should definitely take advantage of,” said Down Coulson. Retailers in particular should play up their Canadian roots and make sure they have a robust ecommerce offering.
“This is an interesting time, with so many American retail brands coming north of the border,” said Down Coulson. “Many Canadian brands are still not online in terms of full-fledged ecommerce, so I don’t think they’re taking full advantage of what’s available.”
