Official Google Canada Blog: GoogleCanada

How Canadians are shopping this holiday season

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Are you a last-minute shopper? Well, you’re not alone. With only 10 days until the holidays, a new study tells us that Canadians have completed less than half of their holiday shopping!1 But these last-minute shoppers aren’t panicking.

We partnered with Ipsos to survey Canadians on how they’ve used technology to shop this holiday season, and we found that holiday shoppers are using their smartphones, search and online video to be savvier than ever. This year, 34 percent of Canadian shoppers say they always do research or check digital sources before going to the store. Canadians may be last-minute shoppers, but they certainly have a game plan for when they hit the mall.

Today we’re sharing three trends that surfaced during Canada’s peak shopping season:

Smartphones are the ultimate shopping companion
The smartphone is a ubiquitous part of Canada's shopping experience, and when Canadians incorporated smartphone searches into their holiday shopping activities it resulted in a purchase 49 percent of the time. Savvy shoppers are turning to their smartphones to make purchases. Of the transactions that were made online this holiday season, 33 percent were purchased via smartphone.

While more people are willing to buy on mobile, we know that mobile is still used as a personal research assistant in and out of the store. This year, 38 percent of Canadian shoppers that bought in-store used their smartphone to search for products and services, and 74 percent used mobile apps as part of their holiday shopping experience.

Digital research influences purchases
Digital tools like smartphones and online search are friends, not foes, to in-store shopping. Canadian shoppers are conducting online research before they hit the mall to determine what they want to buy, the best products in a given category and which stores to visit to find that they need. We’ve seen mobile searches related to “best” products in the top retail categories grow by more than 44 percent in the last year.2

This year, shoppers are prepared, as one in five Canadian holiday shoppers say they’ve checked prices online before going in store. Almost half (43%), wish retail stores would do a better job of sharing inventory information.

YouTube is the new gift guide
Whether it’s watching a product review or learning how to bake gingerbread cookies, Canadian shoppers look to video in countless moments throughout to the day to help get things done. And this includes shopping. This holiday season, shoppers will turn to devices to learn more, make a decision or purchase a product. This year, 26 percent of holiday shoppers used online video to look at products and services

Whether you’re a last-minute shopper or you’ve checked off your whole list, have a happy holiday!

Posted by Sarah Bradley and Naumi Haque, Research and Market Insights Managers, Google Canada.

1 Google/Ipsos, 2016 Holiday Shopping Study, Nov 17 to Dec 9, 2016, with n=1,387 Canadian shoppers 2 Google internal data, Canada searches related to apparel, home & garden, beauty & personal care, computer & electronics, and gift (excluding terms “best buy,” “best man,” and “best friends”). Jan-March 2015 vs. Jan-March 2016

Watch CBC Music’s The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration live on YouTube

Thursday, August 18, 2016

From Bobcaygeon to the Paris of the Prairies, this Saturday Canadians from across the country and around the world are celebrating an amazing moment in our shared history.
On Saturday, August 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET, CBC Music will broadcast and livestream The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration, the band’s sold out concert in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, on YouTube.

WATCH LIVE STREAM HERE

For over three decades Gord Downie and the Hip have sung of uniquely Canadian moments, memories and places that span Canada’s geography. From Ahead by a Century to At the Hundredth Meridian, the songbook of The Tragically Hip feels at times like an intimate narration of our country’s history.
The band has been flooded with love by fans from Canada and abroad. The Kingston show this Saturday is the last stop on the band’s 15-city tour - one more chance for fans to show their deep appreciation. And it is this show that the CBC Music is broadcasting and livestreaming on YouTube.
As Canada's national broadcaster, CBC Music is proud to share this celebration of the Tragically Hip with Canadians -- and the world. No matter where you are this Saturday, tune in to CBC Music’s YouTube livestream to celebrate The Tragically Hip in what is sure to be another beautiful moment of Canadian history.
Posted by: Mark Steinmetz, Senior Director of CBC Music

Meet Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app for everyone

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Video calling is the next best thing to being with someone in person, but too often it can be a frustrating or complicated experience. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your call will connect, or if your friend is using the same type of device as you are.
Today, we’re releasing Google Duo — a simple 1-to-1 video calling app available for Android and iOS. Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are.

Google Duo works across Android and iOS - all you need is a phone number
Simple interface Duo is simple from start to finish. To get started, all you need is your phone number and you’ll be able to reach people in your phone’s contacts list. No separate account is required, so you can sign up in just a few steps. From there, you can instantly begin a video call with a single tap.
Fast and reliable We all know how it feels when a call fails to connect or when video gets choppy. We’ve built Duo to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks. Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected -- when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call. You can start your call at home, and continue seamlessly even when you head out the door.
Human design We designed Duo to feel warm and inviting, focused on just you and the person you’re calling. To make calls feel more like an invitation rather than an interruption, we created a feature in Duo called Knock Knock which lets you see live video of your caller before you answer, giving you a sense of what they’re up to and why they want to chat. Knock Knock makes video calling more spontaneous and welcoming, helping you connect with the person before you even pick up. OOGL1168000H_Google_Apps_Duo_Campaign_Birthday_Knock_Knock_PR_08_unslated.gif

OOGL1168000H_Google_Apps_Duo_Campaign_Birthday_Knock_Knock_PR_08_unslated.gif

Knock Knock in Duo lets you see who’s calling before you pick up
Finally, we built Duo with an emphasis on privacy and security, and all Duo calls are end-to-end encrypted.
Give your friends a wave with Duo! We’re beginning to roll out Duo for Android and iOS today, and it will be live worldwide in the next few days.Posted by Justin Uberti, Principal Software Engineer

Official Canada Blog

How Canadians are shopping this holiday season

Watch CBC Music’s The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration live on YouTube

Meet Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app for everyone

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