November delivered a mixed picture, but the underlying drivers are relatively clear. With All Stores up 2.5% YOY, and All Stores Less Automotive, Food, and Pharmacies up 6.7% YOY, the month benefitted from promotional intensity and consumers prioritizing value. It was Black Friday, but crucially, not Cyber Monday. That timing split definitely affected the revenues between November and December, which will remain to be seen next month upon release of December’s numbers.

Two behavioural shifts stand out. First, more shoppers anticipated shopping in-person for the holidays, nudging brick-and-mortar gains. Second, retailers front-loaded offers and improved omnichannel execution (e.g., buy-online-pick-up-in-store) to reduce fulfilment risk and shipping costs, making stores feel both cheaper and easier.

Convenience Stores remain under pressure, down -4.3% YOY and -4.2% YTD. This looks less cyclical and more structural. The traditional corner-store model faces sustained substitution including expanded assortments at Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall, urban grocery formats with longer hours, and quick-trip missions increasingly captured by larger retailers with loyalty ecosystems. The hoped-for alcohol boost hasn’t materialized as expected—younger generations’ tilt toward alcohol-free lifestyles blunts incremental gains.

That said, there is innovation. KaleMart24, new to Toronto, brings a fresher, health-forward convenience concept that could reset expectations. Just-Walk-Out technologies are gaining traction in Canada, while improved vending (think specialty coffee and higher-quality fresh options) is modernizing the quick-service experience. The momentum in Health and Personal Care Stores (up 5.8% YOY and 7.2% YTD) underscores where trip missions are migrating: toward trusted pharmacies with breadth, services, and loyalty value. Overall, the classic convenience format may need deep change to stay relevant.

On the surface, ecommerce fell -7.3% YOY in a period that’s usually strong. But Cyber Monday landed on December 1, 2025, not in November. That calendar quirk matters. We’ll need December data to properly judge digital performance. Early signals suggest strength as Shopify merchants were up 25% on Black Friday versus 2024, with notable spikes in bakeware, arts and crafts (wooden toy kits, colouring books), and cold-weather items (scarves and blankets). Those categories speak to practical gifting, home-centric experiences, and comfort, aligned with frugal, value-seeking behaviour.

It’s also plausible that shoppers favoured in-store shopping to avoid shipping fees and delays, while using online channels as research and deal discovery, another nod to omnichannel savvy rather than ecommerce weakness. With rotating strike action from Canada Post at numerous points in 2025, the fear that packages may not arrive in time likely aided in the push to in-store shopping.

As we approach the final 2025 Canadian NRB, JCWG is thinking about:

• How did AI shopping affect this year’s holiday sales?
• Will overall retail traffic data show us that there was more in-person shopping this year as predicted in holiday surveys?
• What will the effects be of Cyber Monday on the December ecommerce sales?
• Was Boxing Day able to compete with the ever-expanding Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
• How are YOU changing your strategy to keep up with AI shopping?

For support with your 2026 retail strategy, reach out to the team at JCWG!

Retail Sales by Product Category, Same Month Comparison

Sales for the Month of November	Nov-25	Nov-24	YOY
All Stores	72,260,497	70,489,109	2.51%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers	18,490,612	19,200,459	-3.70%
Gasoline Stations	6,060,495	6,132,490	-1.17%
All Stores Less Automotive	47,709,390	45,156,160	5.65%
Food and Beverage Stores	13,194,429	12,760,194	3.40%
Supermarkets and Other Grocery Stores*	9,342,099	9,120,250	2.43%
Convenience Stores	632,721	660,848	-4.26%
Specialty Food Stores	957,439	856,422	11.80%
Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores	2,262,170	2,122,674	6.57%
Health and Personal Care Stores	6,355,740	6,006,068	5.82%
All Stores Less Automotive, Food, and Pharmacies	28,159,221	26,389,898	6.70%
General Merchandise Stores	10,250,605	9,691,004	5.77%
Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronic and Appliance Stores	4,616,295	4,466,890	3.34%
Furniture Stores	1,301,495	1,307,437	-0.45%
Home Furnishings Stores	905,107	830,361	9.00%
Electronics and Appliance Stores	2,409,693	2,329,093	3.46%
Clothing and Accessories Stores	5,063,119	4,494,515	12.65%
Clothing Stores	4,009,537	3,497,671	14.63%
Shoe Stores	533,600	500,060	6.71%
Jewellery, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores	519,981	496,784	4.67%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores	4,393,251	4,074,024	7.84%
Building Material and Garden Equipment	3,835,952	3,663,466	4.71%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers	2,851,097	2,562,763	11.25%
Cannabis Retailers	477,866	452,848	5.52%
Foodservices and Drinking Places	8,320,923	8,002,900	3.97%

Retail Sales by Store Category, Year to Date Comparison

Year-to-Date Sales Ending November	Nov-25	Nov-24	YTD
All Stores	763,643,347	731,002,491	4.47%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers	214,408,674	202,753,939	5.75%
Gasoline Stations	68,351,291	70,728,353	-3.36%
All Stores Less Automotive	480,883,382	457,520,199	5.11%
Food and Beverage Stores	143,847,166	140,008,747	2.74%
Supermarkets and Other Grocery Stores*	102,842,130	99,634,110	3.22%
Convenience Stores	7,561,520	7,890,225	-4.17%
Specialty Food Stores	10,331,206	9,618,894	7.41%
Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores	23,112,312	22,865,520	1.08%
Health and Personal Care Stores	65,509,093	61,132,684	7.16%
All Stores Less Automotive, Food, and Pharmacies	271,527,123	256,378,768	5.91%
General Merchandise Stores	101,841,159	97,249,149	4.72%
Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronic and Appliance Stores	40,665,269	38,884,376	4.58%
Furniture Stores	13,213,157	12,740,925	3.71%
Home Furnishings Stores	8,146,169	7,596,813	7.23%
Electronics and Appliance Stores	19,305,943	18,546,640	4.09%
Clothing and Accessories Stores	40,976,710	37,137,333	10.34%
Clothing Stores	32,012,380	28,795,615	11.17%
Shoe Stores	4,398,130	4,330,182	1.57%
Jewellery, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores	4,566,196	4,011,537	13.83%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores	43,752,227	40,342,706	8.45%
Building Material and Garden Equipment	44,291,759	42,765,202	3.57%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers	29,366,872	26,293,819	11.69%
Cannabis Retailers	5,072,010	4,705,166	7.80%
Foodservices and Drinking Places	92,799,236	87,554,629	5.99%

Ecommerce Sales

	Nov-25	Nov-24
Ecommerce Sales, YTD	45,156,989	43,354,905	4.16%
Ecommerce Sales, YOY	5,144,650	5,551,254	-7.32%

Regional Sales, Year to Date Comparison

Region	Year-to-Date, 2025	Year-to-Date, 2024	YTD
British Columbia	104,442,658	98,185,507	6.37%
Vancouver	52,832,949	49,023,116	7.77%
Alberta	99,003,066	94,367,215	4.91%
Prairies*	50,247,552	48,521,376	3.56%
Ontario	283,886,235	272,397,757	4.22%
Toronto	125,856,773	122,597,612	2.66%
Québec	170,896,150	164,593,196	3.83%
Montréal	84,576,219	81,986,490	3.16%
Atlantic Canada	52,460,250	50,344,304	4.20%
Territories	2,707,445	2,593,136	4.41%

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