Skip to main content

Prince George leads the province in online business

Square
Share
VANCOUVER -

Many businesses in B.C. have survived the pandemic by upping their online traffic. New data from Square, a financial services and digital payment systems company, reveals that smaller communities are leading the way.

Businesses in Prince George saw online growth of 67 per cent, the highest in B.C. and exceeding the national average of 56 per cent. Square says 56 per cent of businesses in the province are now selling online. While Prince George has the largest uptake, Square says businesses in Squamish are moving ahead at the fastest rate for increasing online sales in the province. 

The top 5 BC cities selling online the most as of the end of August 2021:

  • Prince George 67%
  • Squamish 62%
  • Kelowna 61%
  • Abbotsford 60%
  • Vancouver 60%

There are several reasons why the smaller communities lead the way. According to Square, a younger demographic is more likely to purchase online and communities in some areas have had to work hard to find new customers.

Large cities like Vancouver had more foot traffic during the pandemic than some smaller communities and those along that border which had most of their customers cut off.

"There's more density, right? So you have a lot of customers that are going to come and go to your business no matter what. Whereas, if you're in one of these smaller locations that's more geographically remote, it benefits you to have a little bit of a farther reach and have a little bit of a farther impact on your customer base," explained Felipe Chacon, an economist with Square.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks

Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.

Stay Connected