Canada Day is one of the most patriotic times of the year for Canadians.
As July 1 approaches, this year may see the most consumer-driven sense of patriotism in recent memory, based on the findings in several recent studies, with one showing the vast majority of Canadians prefer premium or locally produced food products four months into the U.S. trade war.
A PwC Canada report released this week showed that 75 per cent of Canadian consumers said they would pay more for premium or locally produced food products.
“What we heard was that Canadians value local products and they want to support homegrown businesses — that is important to Canadians,” says Elisa Swern, national retail and consumer leader at PwC Canada.
However, cost remains a concern that still weighs on consumers, that report noted, saying the efforts from retailers to stock and make domestic products more easily available can help producers scale and ultimately lower costs to close that gap between what Canadians want to buy and what they can afford.
That PwC report found 76 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about the overall cost of food, and another TD study shows that amid the trade war and tariff uncertainty Canadians are spending less on just about everything.
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However, consumers may feel inclined to open their wallets more if “they feel pride in supporting Canadian goods and Canadian companies,” says Swern.
“Consumers told us they want to buy more local, buy more Canadian, buy more sustainable goods…anything from climate change, food waste, things like that.”
The study also showed that 63 per cent of consumers would also pay more for a product if they were better able to understand its origin, and 58 per cent said they were actively seeking sustainability transparency.
This means retailers will want to make it easier for consumers to get a sense of where products are sourced, and in many cases highlighting ones that are considered Canadian.
“Understanding where that product comes from, I think consumers want to see that story — they want to know and maybe if they are paying a little bit more for peaches that are locally grown,” says Swern.
“Canadian retailers have done a really good job of highlighting in store and online products that are Canadian or products that are made in Canada.”
That same sentiment appears likely to extend to travel this summer, as well.
According to a tourism outlook report by TD Bank Group, 64 per cent of respondents said they plan to travel within Canada this year, with the summer being the peak season.
Although the report also outlines how lower U.S. tourism spending will be a bit of a negative impact, that will be somewhat offset by an increase in Canadians travelling domestically.
The Canada Day period could see more domestic travel after the recent launch of the Canada Strong Pass, which allows many Canadians to receive free or discounted admission and other perks at national parks, museums, galleries and more.
The pass was touted as a way to support tourism within Canada as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies prompt many Canadians to avoid travel to the United States and purchasing products with a U.S. origin.
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