Canadian retail sales climbed to $70.2 billion in June, up 1.5 per cent from May and driven by across the board gains in every major subsector, according to Statistics Canada.
Meanwhile, operating revenue for Canada’s total retail trade in 2023 reached $839.8 billion, with e-commerce sales rising seven per cent to $67.7 billion, and in July 2025, e-commerce retail sales increased to $4.3 billion, accounting for 6.1 per cent of total retail trade, as reported by Statistics Canada.
“I’ve been surprised a lot of times with my credit card statement, like who spends $200 per month on Uber and bubble tea?” said Yashika Shokeen, a fourth-year criminology student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
“At first, it feels like a little treat for yourself,” she said. “But after several ‘treats’ in one week, it’s less of self-care and more of self-sabotage.”
Shokeen is not alone in her recognition of her spending. Canadian consumer spending rose just over 1.1 per cent between the first and second quarter of 2025, reaching $1.41 trillion, according to Trading Economics, a platform that compiles global economic data from official sources.
“It’s important to recognize that social media exists in a blurred space between entertainment and shopping,”said Jenna Jacobson, director of the Retail Leadership Institute.
“You can actually click and directly go to a product, to a company or retailer’s website,” said Jacobson, who is also an associate professor at TMU.
In the digital age, curiosity can be sparked instantly, she said.
“It’s very easy to learn about a new product, it’s very easy to see an influencer using a new product… retailers have to continually work at being not just top of mind, but culturally relevant to consumers,” Jacobson said.
“It feels like everyone always has something new and shiny to show off,” said Joey Vong, a second-year master’s psychology student at TMU.
“Overconsumption is a really big thing that everyone’s talking about right now and it feels like we’ve gotten to a point where people realize that we just have too much and it’s all a bit silly,” she said.
While the students who spoke with On The Record said they all struggle with small, frequent purchases, some are also finding ways to turn spendings into savings.
“We now see that as many as half of all students are using a budget app to keep track of everything from coffee to going out and partying,” said Mike Howanyk, senior director of student banking at CIBC.
Howanyk said students who use budgeting apps effectively are redirecting their money into savings accounts, allowing them to afford the big things.
Beyond the daily tracking of spendings, students are using targeted discount programs to save on purchases they already plan to make, according to Dean Mazzariol, president of Student Price Card (SPC), a national student discount program.
“Whether it’s technology being a phone or a computer, we have several offers that basically save them all the things they’re going to buy anyway… it fits in nicely with being very prudent, very practical,” said Mazzariol.
As retail sales grow and e-commerce reshapes consumer habits, Canadians are increasingly making smaller, frequent purchases that blur the line between necessity and impulse, according to Jacobson and Mazzariol who both note that, for students especially, discounts and digital tools can both encourage spending and help curb it.
“It’s easier to spend $7, 10 times on boba or a latte, but one $70 feels bigger and more real,” Vong said.
At the same time, Howanyk has observed a shift toward more mindful budgeting.
“It seems like they’re finding a way to still get what they need and also have a little bit of fun,” said Howanyk.
No AI tools were used in the production of this piece.
