Canada is famous for hockey but soccer has grown in popularity since Canada hosted the 2007 FIFA Under-20s World Cup. It’s one of the few non-native sports that has gained enough popularity to rival native ones. Soccer is the most played sport across all demographics in Canada and, not only are there many professional teams in Canada’s cities, some of those teams play in America’s top professional league – the MLS (Major League Soccer). It is no surprise that soccer is becoming more and more popular given that fitness and well-being are growing in tandem.

Here are just a few other trends gaining importance in Canada:

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The internet is changing the way people do business in Canada. People are searching the internet for the products they wish to purchase and 75% of consumers say that online reviews and ratings will influence their purchasing decisions. This is also affecting in store purchases as consumers are now using the internet to look for product reviews or compare prices before and during their visits to retail stores. E-commerce is definitely on the up and online sales are predicted to reach $10 billion by the start of the next decade.

A related industry, online gambling (or “iGaming”) is becoming increasingly mainstream as more and more states are relaxing or considering to relax existing gambling legislation to benefit from the growth and investment that doing so encourages. Brands like Party Casino and Guts.com are two of the most popular casinos with Canadian players as they offer incentives to get players involved. The former, for example, gives a CD$500 bonus and 120 free spins to newcomers. For more information, click here. Online casino technology is also advancing and becoming more immersive so it can be expected that the iGaming industry may begin to rival or even augment the existing casinos in Canada; imagine interacting with a live dealer from the comfort of your own home.

Elsewhere, health mania has taken off in a big way leading to the complete transformation of eating habits and what foods are in demand by most Canadians. For example, people are moving away from the convenience of processed food to fresh food and from soft drinks to bottled water. As health awareness is growing in Canada, more and more Canadians are becoming more active and taking part in the emerging fitness culture. The popularity of apps on mobile devices and fitness monitoring devices are helping people tracking their goals and achievements as well as providing incentives to keep pushing further and lead healthier lifestyles. This fitness culture is also driving the increase in sales of sportswear.

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One surprising trend that has emerged is the buying of locally sourced or produced goods. Surprising, as the internet has made purchasing goods from anywhere in the world so easy, yet there is a willingness or even patriotic desire to support local businesses and the national economy that would be considered rare or non-existent in other countries.

Canada has a rich and diverse culture and, if current trends are anything to go by, one that promises to get richer and better as time goes by.