Canadian shoppers embraced artificial intelligence in a significant way during the critical 2025 Cyber Week shopping period, with AI tools directly influencing more than one in every five online purchases. This pivotal shift underscores the rapid integration of AI into the mainstream consumer experience, transforming how Canadians find deals and make buying decisions.
Cyber Week 2025: The AI Tipping Point for Retail
According to comprehensive data from Salesforce, which analyzes shopping activity from over 1.5 billion consumers globally, AI and AI-agent searches influenced more than 20% of all Canadian online orders between November 25 and December 1. This period, known as Cyber Week, includes major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Caila Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights at Salesforce, declared this year's event a watershed moment. "The 2025 Cyber Week was the inflection point where AI agents became crucial revenue drivers in Canada," Schwartz stated. "Ultimately, this AI and agent influence translated into immense commercial power, accounting for over 20% of all sales for the entire Cyber Week."
Strong Sales Growth and Savvy Shoppers
The data reveals a robust online shopping environment in Canada. On Cyber Monday alone, sales climbed 3% year-over-year to reach $934 million, with the volume of online orders rising by 1%. For the entire Cyber Week, online sales in Canada jumped by an impressive 7%, while order volumes grew by 4%.
Schwartz highlighted the strategic approach of Canadian consumers. "More significantly, the 2% decrease in average selling price confirms that these consumers were masters of the deal, successfully stretching their dollar farther than nearly any other market," she noted. This suggests shoppers effectively used tools, likely including AI-powered price comparisons and deal finders, to maximize value.
Rise of Flexible Payments and Mobile Wallets
Beyond AI, the Salesforce report identified two other major trends in Canadian payment behaviour during Cyber Week:
- Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) Usage Doubled: The adoption of these flexible payment plans surged to 4.2% of transactions, up from 2.1% during the same period in 2024.
- Mobile Wallet Growth: Payments made via mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay increased to 17% of transactions, a slight rise from 16% the previous year.
These trends collectively paint a picture of a tech-savvy Canadian shopper who is increasingly relying on digital tools—from AI shopping assistants to flexible payment options—to navigate the holiday sales landscape. The 2025 Cyber Week has firmly established AI not as a futuristic concept, but as a present-day engine of retail commerce in Canada.
