Consumer Behaviour

Consumer Information

Once you've decided on your market segment, explore information about your consumers so you can determine how best to market your product.

Consider:

Geographic/demographic data
Psychographic/behavioural data

Geographic/demographic data tells you where your potential consumers live and key data points about them such as age, gender, housing, etc.

The Canadian Census is a key resource for this type of information and is undertaken every 5 years by Statistics Canada. It provides information about the Canadian population such as:

Age
Income
Education
Household and family information
Labour, and more!

2021 Census
This site presents information from the 2021 Census of Population for various levels of geography, including provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas, communities and census tracts.

Canadian Census: Steps

Visit the Census homepage
Type the city or region of interest into the search box. Options will appear. Click the link for the region you are interested in - for example, Hamilton (Census Metropolitan Area).
- What is the difference between a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) and subdivision? See the definitions at Statistics Canada.

Census of Population Homepage

Review the information such as population, average age, etc.
Look for and click on the link "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population"

Census of Population page for Hamilton

A "Profile table" appears. Click "Add or remove data" to open the menu.
Deselect the "Select all topics" checkbox and then select the areas you are interested in (e.g., age, education, income, etc.) by clicking the "plus" sign and making your selections
Select a gender, if required
Click "Apply" to generate the results

Steps for filtering Census Data 1. Click “Add or remove data” to open the menu 2. Click “Select all topics” to deselect all topics and then, click a “plus” sign to add a topic or topics 3. To select gender, click Men+ and/or Women+ if desired 4. Click the “Apply” button

Psychographic/behavioural data tells you about the values, attitudes, and behaviours of your potential consumers. These are important aspects to be aware of as they can indicate purchasing patterns and preferences.

Review the resources found in the "Consumer Behaviour" box on the "Resources" page of this guide
The library database Statista also contains data on consumer behaviour. Enter keywords or the name of a company to find information

Statista

Contains more than 1,000,000 statistics covering 170 different industries and includes market and consumer data, forecasts and outlooks.

Consumer Behaviour in Canada
Report on consumer behaviour in Canada, including shopping behaviour and habits.
Consumer Behaviour in Canada: Statistics & Facts
Charts and reports across various topics relating to consumer behaviour.
Decision Points: Sharpening the Pre-Purchase Consumer Experience (PWC)
Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers
The results of their June 2023 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey regarding consumer preferences.
Information for Consumer Interest Groups
Source: Government of Canada
Various reports and resources about consumers.
Lifestyle and Social Conditions
Source: Statistics Canada
Explore data tables and research using tabs along the top of the box.
PRIZM5
Enter a postal code to see a classification of that neighbourhood according to demographics, preferences and social values.
Profile Table for Hamilton (Census Metropolitan Area)
Source: Statistics Canada
Review aspects of Hamilton population such as income, employment, family size, etc. You can also add a geographic region to compare.
Proximity Measures Data Viewer
View Canadian regions on a map and their proximity to key resources such as hospitals, libraries, parks, etc.
Total Income Groups by Age and Gender: Canada
See income levels across age, gender and geography. Filter results to see only Hamilton, certain age groups or genders.

Consumer Insights in Statista

Statista allows you to select a market and region to see consumer insights about that market such as revenue, consumer demographics, etc.

Choose Insights from the top navigation menu in Statista and then choose Consumer

Type your industry or market into the search box; for example, food, beauty & personal care, etc. Suggested topics will appear below your search word. Select a topic (you can narrow it down further, later.)

Navigate down the page to the 3 drop-down menus to filter your result

Click the industry box and options will appear to filter your market further. (If there is an arrow, that means you can filter further.) Choose Total Market or select a further refinement from the list.

Choose a region by selecting a radio button and then options to narrow further
If required, select a comparator region (optional)

You can navigate the report using the Overview pane on the right hand side of the screen or you can download the report by clicking the Download button, also at right. To cite the report, choose the Cite button at top right.