Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The Canadian apparel market was valued at approximately CAD 37.8 billion in 2023
In 2022, womenswear accounted for 51.47% of Canada’s total apparel revenue
The average revenue per user in the Canadian fashion market was CAD 980 in 2023
The Canadian fashion market is projected to grow annually by 2.98% from 2024 to 2028
E-commerce accounted for 44% of all fashion purchases in Canada in 2023
Canada has over 7,000 fashion manufacturers as of 2022
The Canadian fashion industry employs over 95,000 people
Clothing and accessories retail trade sales in Canada totaled CAD 40.19 billion in 2022
Montreal is home to 48% of Canadian fashion head offices
The Canadian secondhand apparel market grew by 27% in 2022
In 2021, baby boomers made up 27% of Canada's fashion consumers
Imports of apparel and textile products in Canada were valued at CAD 14.4 billion in 2022
Exports of Canadian apparel totaled CAD 2.2 billion in 2022
Consumer Behavior and Demographics
- The average revenue per user in the Canadian fashion market was CAD 980 in 2023
- In 2021, baby boomers made up 27% of Canada's fashion consumers
- 62% of Canadian consumers consider sustainability when purchasing fashion
- 43% of Canadians have bought second-hand clothing in the last year
- 74% of Gen Z in Canada say they prefer eco-friendly fashion brands
- 35% of Canadian fashion start-ups are founded by immigrants
- 50% of Canadian shoppers say they wait for fashion discounts before making a purchase
- 60% of Canadian millennials shop for fashion online at least once a month
- Vancouver Fashion Week attracts over 25,000 attendees annually
- 8% of Canadian fashion consumers used AR/VR for online shopping in 2022
- 70% of Canadian luxury fashion consumers are women
- 88% of Canadian consumers prefer brands with transparent supply chains
- 31% of Canadian consumers donated used clothing in 2022
- The average Canadian buys 70 new clothing items per year
- 24% of Canadian fashion jobs are part-time
- 19% of Canadian consumers cited ethical practices as top priority in fashion shopping
- 65% of Canadian designers are female
- 36% of Canadian consumers follow fashion influencers for shopping guidance
- The average Canadian spends CAD 917 annually on apparel
- 20% of apparel designers in Canada specialize in streetwear
- 45% of Canadian shoppers participate in clothing rental services
- 14% of all returns in Canadian e-commerce fashion are due to sizing issues
Interpretation
In a country where the average Canadian buys 70 items of clothing a year, spends nearly CAD 1,000 on fashion, and still waits for a discount, it's clear the Canadian fashion industry is a complex runway walk between eco-conscious intent, price sensitivity, digital innovation, and a distinctly multicultural, female-led creative force shaping the threads of tomorrow.
Market Size and Growth
- The Canadian apparel market was valued at approximately CAD 37.8 billion in 2023
- In 2022, womenswear accounted for 51.47% of Canada’s total apparel revenue
- The Canadian fashion market is projected to grow annually by 2.98% from 2024 to 2028
- The Canadian fashion industry employs over 95,000 people
- Clothing and accessories retail trade sales in Canada totaled CAD 40.19 billion in 2022
- The Canadian secondhand apparel market grew by 27% in 2022
- Imports of apparel and textile products in Canada were valued at CAD 14.4 billion in 2022
- Exports of Canadian apparel totaled CAD 2.2 billion in 2022
- Canadian online revenue from fashion is projected to reach CAD 15 billion by 2027
- Footwear sales in Canada were valued at CAD 8.11 billion in 2023
- Men's fashion accounted for 34.2% of the apparel market in Canada in 2022
- Luxury fashion sales in Canada rose by 21% in 2022 post-pandemic
- Canada ranks 10th globally for apparel import volume
- Canadian fashion SMEs represent 99% of all fashion businesses
- The knitwear segment in Canada reached CAD 4.2 billion in 2023
- Canadian designers generate over CAD 300 million in domestic sales annually
- Quebec’s fashion industry contributes CAD 8 billion to the provincial economy
- 13% annual growth in Canadian ethical fashion brands since 2020
- 500+ Canadian fashion-related patents were filed in the past decade
- The resale fashion market in Canada is projected to reach CAD 3.5 billion by 2026
- Indigenous fashion contributes an estimated CAD 26 million to Canadian GDP annually
Interpretation
With billions stitched into everything from luxury threads to secondhand scores, and women leading the style charge in a market powered by 95,000 jobs, ethical growth, and Indigenous innovation, Canada’s fashion industry proves it’s not just dressing for the weather—it’s dressing for the future.
Production and Supply Chain
- Canada has over 7,000 fashion manufacturers as of 2022
- Montreal is home to 48% of Canadian fashion head offices
- 12% of fashion retail workers in Canada are unionized
- 80% of Canada's fashion exports go to the United States
- Ontario accounts for 42% of Canadian fashion employment
- 40% of textiles imported to Canada are from China
- 99% of fashion industry employees in Canada work in SMEs
- 15% of Canadian-designed fashion is exported annually
- 46% of all Canadian fashion production facilities are based in Quebec
- 21% of Canadian retailers use 3D printing for prototyping in fashion
- Canada imports over 2 billion fashion items annually
- 55% of Canadian apparel workers are immigrants
- Uniform and protective clothing represent 12% of Canadian clothing production
- 61% of Canadian fashion producers report supply chain disruptions since 2020
Interpretation
Canada’s fashion industry may be stitched together with small businesses and immigrant talent, rooted in Quebec and Ontario, and increasingly high-tech, but it still leans heavily on exports to the U.S., imports from China, and has weathered global supply chain snags with the flair of a well-tailored blazer in a windstorm.
Sales Channels and E-commerce
- E-commerce accounted for 44% of all fashion purchases in Canada in 2023
- Approximately 65% of fashion retailers in Canada have integrated AI into sales or marketing
- Online-only fashion retailers in Canada saw a 37% sales increase in 2022
- Only 9% of Canadian fashion companies are publicly listed
- Canadian fashion retailers spent CAD 840 million on digital ads in 2022
- 81% of Canadian fashion consumers have made purchases via mobile devices
- 10% of Canadian fashion retail space is located in outlet malls
- 23% of Canadian fashion brands sell on global marketplaces like Amazon and eBay
Interpretation
In a stitched-together snapshot of Canada's fashion scene, where AI is the new stylist, mobile phones are the dressing rooms, and e-commerce is the runway, it's clear the industry is digitally draping itself for a future where clicks, not storefronts, make the sales.
Sustainability and Cultural Influence
- Only 5% of textiles are recycled in Canada
- Canadian consumers discard over 500,000 tonnes of clothing annually
- 71% of Canadian fashion brands have implemented sustainability measures
- Fashion waste costs the Canadian economy nearly CAD 10 billion annually
- 94% of Canadians believe fashion brands should reduce environmental impact
- Fabric and textile dyeing accounts for 20% of global water pollution—including in Canadian operations
- 67% of Canadian consumers say fashion brands should pay fair wages globally
- 92% of Canadian retailers plan to increase sustainable materials usage by 2025
- 90% of fashion schools in Canada have incorporated sustainability into their curriculum
Interpretation
Despite a swell of good intentions and sustainable slogans, Canada's fashion industry still threads an uncomfortable truth: while nearly everyone agrees on going green, we're drowning in discarded clothes, polluted water, and a CAD 10 billion price tag for wearing fast fashion too fast.
