E-Commerce in Canada Worth $136 Billion in 2013, up from $122 Billion in 2012

Statistics Canada reported today that Canadian enterprises sold more than $136 billion in goods and services over the Internet in 2013, up from $122 billion a year earlier.

As in 2012, wholesale trade, manufacturing and retail trade accounted for the majority (61%) of the value of e-commerce sales. About 13% of enterprises sold goods or services over the Internet in 2013, up from 11% in 2012.

Large enterprises, as defined in the note to readers, accounted for nearly all of the growth in the value of online sales in 2013. These enterprises were responsible for about $87 billion, or 64%, of the value of total online sales.

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Among those enterprises that sold online in 2013, almost a quarter (24%) of the value of their total sales came from online transactions. Overall, 80% of the value of online sales was attributable to customers in Canada, 15% to customers in the United States and the remaining to customers in other countries. The majority of the value of sales (64%) by Canadian enterprises was attributable to other businesses, not individual consumers.

Certain sectors of the economy saw higher adoption rates of e-commerce. In 2013, 22% of enterprises in the wholesale trade sector and 18% of enterprises in the retail trade sector sold online.

Just under half of Canadian enterprises (47%) purchased goods or services online in 2013.