While the Internet gives us the ability to access markets and services all over the world, Canadians still want to buy closer to home.
In a survey of 1,096 Canadians by ebates.ca, an online cash-back shopping service, 92 per cent of the respondents said they make a point of purchasing Canadian brands and products. Sixty-eight per cent of respondents said the criteria for the brand to be “Canadian” enough is if a majority of their products are made in Canada. Fifty-seven per cent said most of the workforce should be based in Canada.
“Even though there are less expensive internationally produced items readily available, Canadian consumers are clearly loyal to Canadian brands and merchandise when it comes to their purchase decisions,” said Adrienne Down Coulson, the general manager for Ebates Canada.
That’s good news for the countless Canadian companies that are constantly creating buzz all over the tech world. Thalmic Labs, the company behind the popular Myo band, recently announced a Myo app especially for presentations. Right up there with them are companies like Pebble, InteraXon (which develops the Muse headband and recently raised $10 million) and Stingray Digital, which recently went public.
The primary reasons that the respondents said they make a point to buy Canadian are to support the growth of the country. According to the survey, over three-quarters (77 percent) buy Canadian to support the economy. Sixty-six per cent say that they want to help keep jobs in Canada.
“The survey results show us that Canadian consumers do their research and make educated decisions balancing cost savings with supporting the local economy,” said Coulson.