2021 Twitter Canada Holiday/Black Friday Retail Trends

In preparation for Black Friday, Twitter Canada is sharing some new data that can help brands and marketers predict trends. Over the last few years, the retail landscape has been ever-changing due to the impact of the pandemic and shifting consumer values.

Conversations on Twitter give a snapshot of what we can anticipate for Canadian’s shopping habits in 2021, how Canadians on Twitter feel about the holiday retail season and sentiment around holiday-related brand content on the platform.

The retail conversation in Canada often starts on Twitter and this has major implications for brands looking to reach consumers for Black Friday and the holiday season. In fact, Twitter is the #1 platform for brand interaction, taking place in a wide range of conversations.

Holidays are always a big topic on Twitter, not just in Canada but worldwide. Michelle Slater, head of B2B marketing for Twitter Canada has already noticed an increase in the brands spreading holiday cheer on Twitter, such as Starbucks and their #ItsRedCupSeason emoji. Twitter will also be publishing its Canadian Year on Twitter insights very soon, which will let readers look back on the top conversations and biggest trends in 2021. The following are new insights for the 2021 Holiday retail season in Canada, based on a Twitter Canada study taken from Aug 12-18, 2021:

Despite the public discussion and varying sentiment around holiday shopping days we’ve seen over the last year, ½ of Canadians on Twitter say they’re MORE likely to participate in holiday shopping days this year:

• 30% are more likely to participate in Black Friday shopping
• 26% are more likely to participate in Boxing Day shopping
• 23% are more likely to participate in Cyber Monday Shopping

Building on the spike in e-commerce we saw in 2020, Canadian consumers on Twitter say they are likely to shop online during the 2021 holidays even more often than they did the year prior:

• 36% of Canadians on Twitter plan to spend MORE time shopping online in 2021 than they did in 2020

Canadian consumers on Twitter are planning to increase their support for local businesses in 2021:

• Last holiday season (2020), 40% of Canadians on Twitter reported they would be more likely to support local businesses
• In 2021, 35% of Canadians on Twitter say they plan on shopping local more often this year than they did the year prior

Canadians on Twitter have a love for branded holiday campaigns, reporting a strong appetite for holiday-related brand content on Twitter:

• 2/3 of Canadians on Twitter say they WANT to see holiday-related content from brands on Twitter
• Brands are innovating on how they’re using Twitter to build engagement and anticipation amongst their audiences.
  • For example, a September 14th Apple event included features like animated Twitter emojis and teaser Tweets from Apple CEO Tim Cook paired with a Twitter Topic and event pages on the Twitter site to launch Apple’s new iPhone.

So what does this all mean? Michelle Slater, head of B2B marketing, Twitter Canada, believes that brands can leverage this information to better their opportunities.

“We’re consistently sharing new insights with partners to help paint the picture of the Canadians who use our service every day. With more than 16 million Canadians using Twitter each month to find out what’s happening, there are many opportunities for brands to connect with their target audiences on Twitter, says Michelle Slater.
During the holidays, we share insights with brands to help them understand how Canadians are thinking about shopping, gift-giving, their finances and other important topics. There is a lot of detail you can take from Twitter insights. For brands, this allows them to tailor their marketing plans, content and messaging to their audiences.”

The 2022 holidays feel a ways off, especially with how fast our world changes. As things begin to reopen and more Canadians prioritize shopping locally, we expect to see the momentum of the past year carrying into 2022. Twitter will share a deep dive into expected trends in the spring, which will have further insights into how Canadians are thinking and feeling.