Canada E-commerce Statistics (2024)

"Which e-commerce platforms are used by Canadians in 2024?" is a common question among Canadians who wish to venture into the e-commerce industry or looking to examine key e-commerce statistics.

Canadian companies embrace systems that complement their products, services, and expansion goals, from well-established giants like Shopify to niche players like PrestaShop.

Let's review the most popular eCommerce platform statistics for Canada.

Importance of eCommerce Platforms in Canada

The widespread digital adoption, driven by Canada's tech-savvy population and high internet and smartphone usage, paved the way for these platforms to be popular. Every online store can reach a sizable online consumer base through eCommerce platforms by leveraging digital engagement.

Additionally, considering Canada's expansive geography, which presents difficulties for conventional retail distribution, eCommerce platforms bridge the gap by seamlessly delivering products even to remote areas. The multicultural nature of Canada requires versatile shopping experiences, and eCommerce platforms are excellent at adapting their services to an assortment of preferences, languages, and cultural uniqueness.

Furthermore, the potential of online shopping to reduce carbon footprints through improved logistics and decreased physical store infrastructure also helps Canada achieve its sustainability goals. Finally, these platforms encourage innovation and adaptation, encouraging every online store to explore new products, services, and marketing strategies to remain competitive.

Which eCommerce Platform Is The Most Popular With Canadian Businesses?

Exploring the Canadian digital marketplace reveals a clear frontrunner among eCommerce platforms, garnering significant favour among local businesses. As online retail continues to thrive and evolve in Canada, one platform is the preferred choice for many enterprises.

Shopify

Shopify has emerged as a true powerhouse in the Canadian eCommerce industry, expanding its dominance and influence in numerous sectors. This eCommerce platform has a significant impact because of many aspects crucial to every Canadian online store. Notably, Shopify's user-friendly interface and comprehensive suite of features provide an ideal foundation for businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to established organizations.

Fun Facts

• Founded in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake in Ottawa, Canada
• Serves in 175 countries
• Powers over 1.7 businesses worldwide
• Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).
• Offers a 14-day free trial

Shopify Stores in Canada

Shopify is one of the largest eCommerce platforms in the world, and Canada has a large share of its users.

As of 2023, 89,252 Canadian stores run on the platform, many of which now enjoy growth through modern eCommerce shipping solutions.

Pros

• Without extensive technical expertise, businesses can easily set up and manage their online stores with Shopify's user-friendly platform.
• The platform provides many responsive themes, ensuring your online store appears and works properly across different devices.
• You can personalize the functionality of your store using numerous tools and integrations for marketing, analytics, inventory management, and more.
• Shopify handles hosting, security, and compliance, eliminating data breaches and downtime concerns.
• It supports multiple payment methods, including many Canadian options, facilitating seamless transactions for both domestic and international customers.
• It has built-in search engine optimization (SEO) features to help optimize the visibility of your online store in search engines, driving organic traffic and potential customers.

Cons

• While there's a free trial period, recurring subscription costs can add up, especially for an online store with tight budgets or low sales volume.
• This eCommerce platform charges transaction fees for external payment methods, impacting your profit margins.
• While themes and apps offer customization, modifying advanced features might need coding knowledge or hiring a developer.
• Due to Shopify's patented structure, leaving it can be challenging, potentially causing inconveniences if you switch platforms.
• Although Shopify supports international sales, additional transaction costs or currency conversion charges might exist.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce, a versatile eCommerce plugin for WordPress, is highly popular in Canada due to its easy integration, customization options, and user-friendly interface. Business to business, from startups and small businesses to established brands, embrace WooCommerce's simplicity and integration capacity to align your online store with unique branding.

This flexibility draws every Canadian online business looking to engage customers successfully and its compatibility with content-drive strategies like blogging. WooCommerce is a cost-effective open-source solution ideal for entrepreneurs on a tight budget. Its community support and tailored solutions further bolster its popularity. WooCommerce continues to be a favoured choice for its customization, user-friendliness, and community strength.

Fun Facts

• It was launched in 2011 and was later acquired by Automattic (the company behind WordPress) in 2015.
• Initially a side project for its creators (Mark Forrester, Magnus Jepson, and Adii Pienaar), the first version of WooCommerce was developed at a coffee shop.
• It powered 22% of the top 1 million eCommerce platforms.
• It's available in more than 50 languages.
• Its plugin is open-source and free to use.
• Allows you to set specific tax rates for different geographic locations.

WooCommerce Stores in Canada

WooCommerce is practically a household name in the eCommerce industry. With 88,076 stores using it in Canada, it is one of the most popular content management systems in the country.

Pros

• As a plugin for WordPress, it seamlessly integrates with the world's most widely used content management system, allowing content and commerce can work together smoothly.
• Since the core of WooCommerce is a free plan and open-source, it is more affordable for a small online store with limited budgets.
• Because this eCommerce platform is compatible with WordPress, it is perfect for any eCommerce company to combine eCommerce and content marketing to increase engagement and SEO.
• WooCommerce offers selling features, such as memberships, bookings, and more, catering to diverse business models apart from physical and digital products.
• With detailed sales reports and customer data, WooCommerce provides insights helping businesses make informed decisions and refine strategies.

Cons

• While user-friendly, setting up and customizing this eCommerce platform might require technical knowledge, especially for complex modifications.
• As an open-source eCommerce site, businesses must manage updates, security, and backups or enlist professional help.
• WooCommerce's resource-intensive nature requires higher-quality web hosting, adding to operational costs for Canadian businesses with large catalogues.
• Since online sellers must simultaneously manage WordPress and WooCommerce, the learning curve for beginners can be steeper than other platforms with a hosting provider.
• While the core plugin has free features, additional costs might arise from multiple payment options and premium extensions.
• Because this platform is open-source, assistance comes from various sources, leading to quality and availability inconsistencies.

Magento

With a focus on serving companies of various sizes and industries, Magento has a significant presence in Canada's eCommerce scene. Renowned for its reliability, scalability, and customization capabilities, Magento supports diverse online stores, from startups to established enterprises.

Its advanced features and flexibility align with the intricate needs of the Canadian market, including bilingual interfaces and local payment options. While Magento's complexity needs technical knowledge, its ability to sell unlimited products and offer tailored experiences has garnered recognition and respect in Canada's eCommerce sphere, making it a contender for an eCommerce business seeking a comprehensive and flexible platform.

Fun Facts

• It comes in different editions, including Community Edition (free and open-source) and Enterprise Edition (premium).
• It was acquired by Adobe in 2018, integrating its creative and marketing tools portfolio.
• It supports over 250,000 online shops worldwide.
• Magento hosts an annual conference called Imagine, bringing together eCommerce professionals, developers, and industry experts, to discuss trends, insights, and innovation.
• Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) improve the mobile purchasing experience, and Magento's PWA Studio helps businesses create fast, engaging, and reliable PWAs.
• It offers certification programs for developers, administrators, and solution specialists, serving as a means of demonstrating authority and proficiency with the platform.

Magento Stores in Canada

Although it is a popular eCommerce platform worldwide, only a small percentage of its users comprise Canadian stores. This accounts for 2,422 users of the platform's global user base.

Pros

• With extensive customization options, this eCommerce platform enables Canadian sellers to tailor their online stores to specific branding and individual needs.
• This eCommerce platform has many functionalities, including advanced marketing features, multichannel selling capabilities, inventory management, and complex pricing configurations.
• Magento's ability to create bilingual interfaces, serving English and French-speaking customers well-served Canada's bilingual landscape.
• Magento is an ideal eCommerce platform for Canadian sellers targeting various areas and provinces because it supports a wide range of languages, currencies, and tax rates.
• Magento's solid architecture and flexible infrastructure make it perfect for businesses of all sizes because it can handle expansion and high traffic volumes.

Cons

Pricing is shown in USD.

The prices are only estimated amounts based on the average fees of the tools.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a compelling option for Canadian businesses seeking a versatile eCommerce platform. The benefits include a user-friendly setup, mobile optimization, configurable stores, SEO stools, scalability, multicurrency support, local payment gateways, security, 24/7 support, migration assistance, marketing tools, and performance optimization. Big Commerce appeals to both new businesses and well-established brands because it offers a customizable and user-centred online presence, reaching the needs of the Canadian market.

Fun Facts

• It is powered by the official SpaceX swag store, selling merchandise related to the aerospace company's missions and achievements.
• Partnered with Facebook to integrate with Facebook Shops, enabling businesses to sell products online directly through their social media profiles.
• It launched a Growth Academy, providing online courses, resources, and expert advice to help merchants succeed in eCommerce.eCommerce
• Forbes recognized it as one of America's Best Startup Employers in 2021, highlighting its positive work culture and employee satisfaction.
• Collaborated with Google to create seamless integration with Google Shopping, simplifying the process of listing products on Google's shopping platform.
• With the introduction of B2B commerce solutions, this eCommerce platform's capabilities cater to wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers, expanding its capabilities beyond traditional retail.
• BigCommerce integrated with CoinPayments, allowing merchants to accept payments online in various cryptocurrencies, tapping into digital transactions.

BigCommerce Stores in Canada

A large bulk of BigCommerce's users come from the United States, but that's not saying Canada holds an insignificant share of its user base. 1,333 stores use the platform in the country, which accounts for 3.2% of the population of the top five countries where BigCommerce is most popular.

Pros

• BigCommerce offers an intuitive interface, enabling every Canadian business to easily set up and manage their online store
• It guarantees Canadian customers a smooth online shopping experience across platforms with responsive themes and a mobile app.
• With the help of BigCommerce's comprehensive features, you can match your own eCommerce website with distinctive branding and customizable templates.
• It provides built-in SEO features that enable Canadian companies to enhance and increase their store's visibility and attract organic web traffic.
• It supports multiple currencies, facilitating international sales and opening foreign markets for Canadian companies.
• It includes marketing features that can enhance your eCommerce website, including abandoned cart recovery, inventory management, multiple online payments, and promotions.

Cons

• The pricing is higher than other platforms, particularly for smaller Canadian companies on a tighter budget.
• Advanced functionalities can depend on third-party apps, potentially adding costs and integration complexities.
• While this platform supports multi-currency, full bilingual support will require additional plugins or workarounds.
• Specific payment gateways will impose transaction fees, affecting overall costs.

Which eCommerce Platforms Are Niche and Emerging?

The best eCommerce platforms in Canada are not limited to those already established ones. You can also find the best eCommerce platform among the niche and emerging eCommerce website builders.

Which ones should you check out? Scroll down to know more!

Squarespace

Squarespace is prominent in Canada's digital landscape, offering an intuitive platform for businesses, creatives, and individuals to establish compelling online presences. This eCommerce website builder offers visually appealing templates catering to diverse industries, helping nds and startups. You can start selling online with its eCommerce capabilities. It has a responsive design, multilingual features, and localized support, aligning well with Canada's bilingual context.

It also supports Canadian creatives by providing a platform to showcase artistic work. While offering design flexibility, blogging tools, and SEO optimization, businesses should consider its scalability for larger enterprises. Overall, Squarespace significantly contributes to Canada's online commerce and representation.

Fun Facts

• Squarespace produced a Super Bowl commercial featuring Jeff Bridges that won an Oscar for Best Original Song, showcasing its creative impact beyond website building.
• Its headquarters, located in the historic Meatpacking District of New York City, was designed by architect Frank Gehry.
• Squarespace sponsored the Bonnaroo music festival and launched the "Make It" platform, connecting musicians and artists to create custom websites.
• The four circles in its logo represent a website's four fundamental components: layout, content, design, and functionality.
• It sponsors the Art Directors Club Young Guns program, supporting young artists and creatives in numerous fields.

Squarespace Users in Canada

Squarespace is a very popular site builder that's often employed by eCommerce businesses worldwide. In Canada alone, its popularity shows in the fact that it has about 174,340 users in the country.

Pros

• One of the key features of using Squarespace is the opportunity to use aesthetically pleasing templates that align well with Canada's diverse industries and allow sellers to showcase products effectively.
• It offers multilingual features for businesses targeting both English and French-speaking audiences.
• The platform has integrated blogging tools to support content marketing strategies, helping sellers engage with their audience using informative content.
• Without extensive coding, you can easily customize your online store's appearance and branding.
• It has hosting and security features, ensuring a reliable and secure online store environment.
• Squarespace is more suitable for smaller businesses.

Cons

Wix

Wix's popularity among Canadian eCommerce brands has increased due to its user-friendly interface, customization options, and eCommerce integration. The platform's flexible design accommodates various devices, while multilingual support aligns with Canada's bilingual context.

Wix's SEO tools optimize online visibility, and local payment options ensure smooth transactions. The Wix App Market enhances functionality, and a supportive user community fosters collaboration. Affordability suits startups, and scalability accommodates growth. However, businesses should consider limitations in customization and scalability for larger enterprises. Overall, Wix enables Canadian eCommerce business owners to quickly launch attractive online companies, enhancing the vibrancy of the nation's digital market.

Fun Facts

• Wix is known for its creative Super Bowl commercials featuring celebrities like Gal Gadot, Jason Statham, and Heidi Klum, showcasing its impact on a global stage.
• They have partnered with NASA to create a stunning website for the OSIRIS-REx mission, demonstrating its versatility beyond traditional website building.
• It has an immersive office space designed for creativity and innovation called Wix Playground.
• Its marketplace has 250 apps, offering numerous functionalities, social media integrations, and other eCommerce tools.
• It offers free website hosting for nonprofits.

Wix Users in Canada

Wix makes site building easy, which is why it has become so popular among Canadian online businesses. At more or less 152,000 users, the country ranks sixth among those that use the platform.

Pros

• It has responsive templates, ensuring optimal viewing experiences across devices and enhancing user experience.
• The App Market has various plugins and extensions, enhancing their websites with additional functionalities.
• The pricing structure offers cost-effective solutions, especially for startups and small businesses.

Cons

• Since Wix is more suitable for smaller businesses, the eCommerce features might constrain larger brands with complex needs.
• While Wix offers many customization options, there are also significant restrictions on its versatility, such as the inability to modify the templates after being integrated into the site.
• Users might experience challenges as they outgrow the platform because you cannot transfer the website. Parting ways with Wix can also mean you need to rebuild your website.
• Businesses using plenty of videos or images on their sites may also encounter problems with load times.

PrestaShop

PrestaShop is an open-source eCommerce platform for small to medium-sized Canadian businesses (SMEs) because of its cost-effective solutions and customizable themes and modules. It also supports optimal browsing experiences and multilingual support aligning with Canada's linguistic diversity.

Fun Facts

• It was founded in France in 2007 by Igor Schlumberger and Bruno Lévêque.
• It is available in over 65 languages.
• It offers a free online e-learning platform called PrestaShop Academy.

Prestashop Users in Canada

PrestaShop is a lesser-known name in the Canadian eCommerce space, although it enjoys a degree of popularity in Europe and the United States. It has 928 users in Canada — a small, but not an insignificant figure.

Pros

• It is easy to install.
• It is budget-friendly.
• Its design is convenient and simple.
• It is easy to customize, add or delete features, and personalize specific areas.
• It has secure, reliable, and convenient payment methods

Cons

• It has limited scalability.
• The designs are less appealing than with other platforms.
• You will not find experts or a support team.

PrestaShop Pricing

Since PrestaShop is open-source, you don't have to pay anything to maintain it. However, similar to any open-source platform in Canada, you can expect limited features and functionalities. You also need additional plugins and extensions to ensure your website is fully functional.

Conclusion

Established names like Shopify and WooCommerce enjoy great popularity among eCommerce users, as do versatile website builders like SquareSpace and Wix. While one can attribute this to a wide range of factors, it all boils down to accessibility, ease of use, learning curve, and affordability.

After all, Canada is home to a host of small and medium enterprises, all with varying requirements and the need to establish their presence in the online market. We hope that you found these e-commerce statistics insightful.