Fifty-five per cent of Canadian retailers have an e-commerce platform as of the first quarter, compared to 27 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, a Monday report from Colliers said. The commercial real estate firm predicted online sales will grow from the current six per cent to eight per cent of overall retail sales by 2025. (The Logic)

Talking point: Although consumer confidence has dipped as the economy slowed after a pandemic-fuelled e-commerce boom, retail sales continued to grow, making it difficult to predict growth levels. It will take a year or so for retail-consumption patterns to return to normal, John Duda, president of real estate management services at Colliers, told The Logic. Until then, retailers are seeking to correctly balance their brick-and-mortar and e-commerce strategies. “These are structural shifts. … E-commerce is not going away,” he said.