Homegrown loyalty surges ahead of Canada Day
New research from Horizon Media Canada confirms a shift toward local loyalty—one that is reshaping purchase behaviour across provinces and generations.
According to the firm’s latest Finger on the Pulse survey, 83%of Canadians say buying local evokes a sense of national pride, and 71% report being more loyal to Canadian brands in 2025 than they were a year ago.
Conducted in April with a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 adults, the survey finds that Canadians are responding to economic uncertainty, rising tariffs and a weaker dollar by making more intentional, values-based choices at checkout.
“This isn’t performative patriotism—it’s a strategic consumer shift,” said Robert Jenkyn, president, Horizon Media Canada. “People are using their dollars to vote for trust, transparency, and Canadian-made value. It’s a loyalty play with real staying power.”
The loyalty shift is taking root across the country, but Atlantic Canada (62%), British Columbia (71%) and Ontario (74%) are leading the way. The trend is being reinforced by changes in travel behaviour as well: 67%of Canadians say they’ve adjusted or cancelled trips to the United States due to the weak Canadian dollar, and 59%say they’ve reduced their purchases of U.S. brands altogether.
Some 85% of Canadians say they plan to prioritize Canadian-made products moving forward, with many indicating they will do so even if prices increase. The preference is strongest among gen X and Boomers, who are most likely to switch away from global brands in response to tariff-related price hikes. But even younger consumers — while more globally open — are looking for authenticity and purpose in the brands they choose.
“When a brand clearly communicates that it’s Canadian, shoppers perceive it as more credible, more relevant and increasingly more responsible,” said Richard Ivey, Horizon’s EVP, Business Solutions. “That creates real market advantage — and it’s an opportunity brands can’t afford to ignore.”
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The shift is most pronounced in food and beverage, where 82% of Canadians actively seek out Canadian-made products, particularly in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, where local economic ties run deep. However, momentum is also growing in personal care, home goods and fashion, especially in British Columbia and Saskatchewan — suggesting strong portfolio expansion opportunities for brands that can authentically reinforce their Canadian ties.
While millennials and gen Z are less influenced by patriotic appeals alone, they remain highly responsive to brands that demonstrate transparency, sustainable practices, and price fairness. These younger cohorts represent both a challenge and an opportunity: they demand more, but they are also more willing to engage with global brands — if those brands can clearly articulate their purpose and impact in Canada.
“There’s never been a more important time to reinforce Brand Canada,” added Jenkyn. “National pride isn’t just symbolic—it’s showing up in shopping carts, credit card statements and the companies people choose to support. The marketers who take that seriously—not as a trend, but as a cultural signal—will be the ones who win.”
