Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in Canadian retail, impacting everything from inventory management to customer service. Tara Conway, a retail expert with deep industry knowledge, recently sat down with Retail Insider to discuss the rapidly evolving role of AI, the unique challenges facing retailers of all sizes, and the innovative strategies required to remain competitive. As Canadian retail enters an era of technological transformation, Conway’s insights provide a roadmap for navigating this complex landscape.

“AI is no longer a hypothetical or a ‘nice to have.’ It’s now essential,” Conway stated emphatically. She explained that most retailers have already embraced AI in some form, shifting the conversation from feasibility to execution. “You can’t debate whether AI can be used—it has to be used,” she added.

While the initial concern around AI often centred on potential job losses, Conway clarified that the current focus is on driving efficiency with existing resources. “The layoffs and shrinking of retail teams in recent years have put enormous pressure on resources. AI is enabling retailers to streamline operations, from inventory management to customer personalization,” she explained.

As the GST/HST holiday approaches its conclusion on February 15, Moneris, has released new data offering insights into consumer spending patterns during the first month of the tax break. 

The analysis, covering December 14, 2024, to January 15, 2025, compared with the same period a year earlier, reveals that the holiday did not significantly stimulate consumer spending.

According to Moneris, overall spending across Canada declined by 4% year-over-year, with transaction counts dropping by 1%. This slight reduction in consumer activity suggests that even the potential savings from the tax holiday were insufficient to encourage Canadians to shop more frequently or spend more per transaction.

Sean McCormick, Director of Business Development – Data Services and LAKA Sales Leadership at Moneris, noted, “While the tax break aimed to spur spending, Moneris’ data shows it may have unintentionally slowed it down. With a 3% decline in overall transaction sizes year-over-year, the data suggests that the break may not have had its anticipated effect.”

On Saturday, February 1, 2025, President Donald Trump used his powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports except petroleum, which will be subject to a 10% tariff. These tariffs will take effect at 12:01am on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

Canada announced its own 25% counter-tariffs on $30B worth of U.S. goods which will also take effect on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. This initial list of goods will be supplemented by $125B worth of additional goods to be tariffed at the same 25% rate. These additional goods will be subject to a 21-day consultation period in order for affected businesses to prepare or to make their case for exclusions.

The Canadian government announced it may use additional non-tariff measures (such as limiting exports of critical minerals to the U.S.) to apply pressure on the U.S.. They also signalled their intention to aid workers and businesses with emergency relief, however details have yet to be released.

Finally, Mexico and China were also targeted by these U.S. tariff measures at the rate of 25% and 10% respectively. Mexico has since responded with their own counter-tariffs while China has said it will take the matter to the World Trade Organization.

Fewer Canadians seem to be getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit this year, but those who are plan to spend just as much—or even more—than last year. Last-minute shopping is increasing, with fewer planning ahead. In-store shopping for Valentines gifts is still the go-to, and more shoppers are seeking out local and eco-friendly options. Dining out and sweet treats top the shopping list, and more people are making special shopping trips just for Valentine’s gifts—even if it’s at the last minute!

Social commerce is transforming the retail landscape as Canadian consumers increasingly seek streamlined shopping experiences. Yet, growing concerns about security, fulfillment disruptions and product discrepancies remain significant barriers. The retail industry, however, can use existing technologies and platforms to build brand trust and loyalty, according to a new report by SOTI.

According to SOTI’s new retail report, The Rise of Social Commerce: Turning Tech-Driven Browsers into Influenced Buyers, which surveyed 1,000 Canadian consumers, shoppers in this country continue to seek out new purchasing channels with a growing preference for a hybrid shopping model. 

“Three key themes appeared in this year’s retail report: social commerce is becoming a critical channel for retail growth, driven by consumer demand for improved and more personalized shopping experiences. However, security issues remain a critical issue for buying online and with in-store devices, emphasizing the need for a security-first approach across the sector and all retail channels,” explained the report.

The wedding day phrase “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” originated in Victorian England as a way to bestow luck on brides before they embarked upon the next stage of their lives.

While we can’t speak to anything borrowed or blue, the next year in marketers’ lives will certainly include tactics that are both old and new thanks to ongoing concerns about consumer privacy, as well as emerging features like AI-generated search summaries.

In this article, we’re highlighting the top 10 digital marketing trends small businesses need to pay attention to and potentially adopt in 2025.

Top 2025 digital marketing trends
“At the core, [these trends are] about using technology to meet timeless customer expectations: convenience, personalization, and value,” said Max Williams, CEO of chatbot platform Herobot. “For brands that embrace these shifts, the future holds incredible opportunities to connect, engage, and grow in ways we could only imagine a few years ago.”

Here’s a closer look at the 10 digital marketing trends that are driving these shifts in 2025:

1. There will be a rise in AI-driven hyper-personalization
2. Customers will expect conversational marketing
3. Businesses will find creative ways to gather first-party data
4. Marketers will lean in further to zero-party data
5. Privacy concerns will lead more businesses to use blockchain
6. Multimodal search will become a bigger focus for SEO
7. Businesses will optimize for zero-click searches
8. Predictive SEO will increase in importance
9. There will be more immersive content
10. More businesses will embrace gamification

It’s a question almost any business asks: How do you get users to find your website? If users’ search queries align with your industry, you want search engines to showcase your website at the top of the search engine results page. The standard solution has been search engine optimization, a strategy more than 80% of marketing professionals say helps their organization’s performance.

But for ecommerce business owners, this question has an extra layer: How do you get potential customers to find your online store’s individual product pages? Enter ecommerce product page SEO. Optimized product pages have become crucial to a comprehensive ecommerce SEO strategy. Read on to learn how optimizing product pages can boost your search engine rankings, with tips from Kyle Risley, senior SEO lead at Shopify.

What is ecommerce product page SEO?
Ecommerce product page SEO is a form of search engine optimization that drives organic traffic to individual product listings in your ecommerce store. Product page optimization attracts search users interested in making a purchase, and it helps convert them into customers.

“If you haven’t noticed already, Google likes to rank popular brands and products,” Kyle says. He emphasizes that steering relevant search queries to your ecommerce site starts with understanding how the major search engines work. “Anything you can do to get more people actively searching for your brand and your products can have a carryover effect to how your pages rank for non-branded queries.”

The recently announced GST holiday in Canada has left small businesses scrambling to navigate its complex implementation. Retailers across the country are expressing concerns over increased costs, operational confusion, and the uneven application of the policy between provinces. While the government aims to stimulate spending during the holiday season, experts warn that the short-term policy is burdening businesses at the worst possible time.

Erica Pimentel, Accounting Professor at Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, outlines the major issues facing small retailers, describing the policy as “an implementation nightmare.”

“Small businesses must overhaul their IT systems to apply taxes on certain products—only to undo it two months later. It’s a logistical and financial headache,” Pimentel says.

A Costly and Complex Process
For many small businesses, the GST holiday requires significant changes to IT systems, inventory management, and staffing processes. Unlike major corporations with advanced IT infrastructure, small retailers are often left to manually update their systems to identify products eligible for the exemption.

“Large retailers like Amazon can use AI and sophisticated databases to determine which items are exempt,” Pimentel explains. “But a small business owner—like a pharmacist who sells shampoos or cosmetics—might not have those resources. They’re going through their inventory, line by line, to comply with the GST holiday.”

As we bid goodbye to 2024, I have been reflecting on how generative AI has continued to evolve from a nascent technology into a powerful force driving real business value. In conversations with Canadian customers earlier this year, many were taking their first tentative steps, exploring how generative AI could impact their organizations through pilot projects and small-scale deployments.

But the landscape has shifted dramatically. Companies have moved beyond AI experimentation to full-scale deployments, transforming specific parts of their business. Many of these projects, while not always immediately noticeable to consumers, have focused on optimizing back-end processes or enhancing customer-facing platforms, yielding impressive cost savings and productivity improvements. Companies like TELUS and Dollarama are already reaping the rewards, and it’s encouraging to see other Canadian businesses across all industries follow suit, establishing their own generative AI strategies.

This momentum positions 2025 as a pivotal year for generative AI adoption in Canada. As the technology matures and initial deployments demonstrate tangible value, executives will face the imperative to build winning AI strategies that fundamentally transform how their companies operate, compete, and innovate.

AI Trends to Watch in 2025
Our recent Economic Impact Report highlighted AI’s potential to boost Canada’s economy by $230 billion and save the average worker 175 hours per year. The scale of this opportunity demands that every business leader pay close attention to key AI trends in 2025.

A survey by Lightspeed Commerce captures unique insights into how Canadians are navigating economic pressures while continuing to spread holiday cheer.

The survey also sheds light on how generational differences influence shopping habits.

Some of the key findings:

• Social Media Shopping Boom: Over one-third (35%) of Gen Z and young Millennial Canadian shoppers use TikTok as their top shopping resource, highlighting a major shift in retail engagement;
• Instant Gratification over Costs: 55% of Gen Z and young Millennials are willing to pay above the sticker price to avoid waiting for restocks;
• Retail Tipping Trends: 53% of Canadians are willing to tip retail staff for exceptional service, with this figure rising to 83% among Gen Z shoppers. This demonstrates a significant willingness to show appreciation, despite economic pressures;
• Budget Considerations: Due to tighter budgets, 38% of Canadians have been more cautious with their spending ahead of the holidays, with 69% indicating that discounts are very or extremely important in their purchasing decisions;
• Holiday Shopping Motivators: The motivators for Canadians to spend with retail brands are crystal clear: free shipping or delivery (51%) and enticing special offers or sales (57%).

John Shapiro, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Lightspeed Commerce, said consumer behaviour today is influenced by several overlapping factors.

“Brick-and-mortar stores remain central to shopping habits, with 64% of Canadian shoppers reporting that they do the majority of their shopping in-store. This preference cuts across age, gender, and income levels, demonstrating that in-person shopping provides experiences and immediacy that online channels cannot fully replicate.

“That said, the role of online shopping remains a critical factor for businesses. It’s where most shoppers discover brands and make their buying decisions, even prior to going in-store.

The rise of digital wallets is reshaping the payments landscape, offering businesses new opportunities to meet the evolving needs of consumers. As mobile payment solutions gain traction globally, companies are increasingly recognizing the need to innovate and adapt to these emerging trends. With the ability to streamline transactions, reduce costs, and enhance customer engagement, digital wallets are becoming integral to businesses looking to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.

The rapid adoption of digital wallets is not just a passing trend – it is a response to consumer demand for faster, more convenient, and secure payment methods. As consumers embrace mobile wallet apps, which can store multiple payment methods such as credit and debit cards, loyalty cards, and even digital coupons, businesses are gaining valuable insights into their preferences and behaviors. By offering integrated features like loyalty programs and discounts, digital wallets allow consumers to save time and money while improving their overall shopping experience.

For businesses, supporting mobile wallet payments is a strategic move to attract a broader, tech-savvy customer base, particularly younger generations who are digitally native. As mobile wallets gain global traction, companies have a unique opportunity to tap into new markets and cater to a growing segment of consumers who expect seamless, frictionless payment experiences. This shift to mobile wallets is expected to reach over 60% of the global population by 2026, according to Juniper Research, offering businesses the chance to gain a competitive edge in the digital payments space.