Canada Leisure Trends Market Report 2023

Overview

• What you need to know
• This Report looks at the following areas
• Definition

Executive Summary

• Top takeaways
• Consumer trends
• Media is at the centre of at-home leisure
• Out-of-home leisure is losing ground to in-home leisure
• Leisure behaviours vary significantly across demographic groups
• Competitive strategies
• Brands strategically associate themselves with leisure activities
  • Figure 1: Nespresso Instagram post, 2023
• Out-of-home leisure stakeholders are demonstrating value
  • Figure 2: Toronto Blue Jays Twitter post, 2022
• Market predictions
• Out-of-home leisure will continue to lose ground to in-home
  • Figure 3: Category outlook: leisure trends, 2023-28
• Opportunities
• Multitasking and ‘piggybacking’ means white space opportunity
• Many consumers want to feel like their leisure time was productive
• Parents prioritize time with their kids

The Market – By the Numbers

• At-home leisure expenditures are above pre-pandemic levels
  • Figure 4: Household consumption expenditure at current prices, Q4 2019 vs Q4 2022
  • Figure 5: Full-service restaurants monthly sales at current prices, 2019-22

Market Factors

• Economic trends impact leisure preferences
• External factors continue to squeeze Canadians’ budgets
• Some consumers are worse off than last year, but many are stable
  • Figure 6: Financial situation compared to a year ago, 2023
• COVID-19 remains a factor that can impact leisure activities
  • Figure 7: Concern about exposure to COVID-19, 2020-22
• Canadians are returning to workplaces, but remote work remains common
  • Figure 8: Working location, 2021 and 2022
• Opportunities arising from this shift
• Stress and anxiety are common; leisure time can help
  • Figure 9: Factors that contribute to stress, 2023
• • Figure 10: Reasons for feeling in control of personal health, 2023

Competitive Strategies

• Brands drive usage by associating themselves with leisure time
  • Figure 11: Nespresso Instagram post, 2023
  • Figure 12: Beats by Dre Instagram post, 2022
• • Figure 13: Lays Instagram post, 2023
• Toronto Blue Jays offer bulk value to attract more fans
  • Figure 14: Toronto Blue Jays Twitter post, 2022
• Netflix’s crackdown on sharing will cause some Canadians to adapt
  • Figure 15: Netflix Canada Twitter post, 2023
• Parents’ leisure time is focused on their children
  • Figure 16: Mattel Instagram post, 2022
  • Figure 17: Boston Pizza Canada Instagram post, 2023

Leisure Trends – Fast Facts

Leisure Activities

• Canadians have many ways to spend their free time
  • Figure 18: Leisure activities done in the past six months, 2023
• Age and gender are key factors in how consumers spend their spare time
  • Figure 19: Leisure activities done in the past six months, by age, 2023
• • Figure 20: Leisure activities done in the past six months, men vs women, 2023
• Leisure time can be productive
  • Figure 21: “Productive” leisure activities done in the past six months, by living situation, 2023
• Regional and racial skews are evident, indicating cultural differences in leisure
  • Figure 22: “Productive” leisure activities done in the past six months, overall vs Quebec by language spoken at home, 2023
• • Figure 23: “Productive” leisure activities done in the past six month, overall vs Chinese, South Asian and Black/African Canadian, 2023
• Relaxing, in-home leisure is still common
  • Figure 24: “In-home” leisure activities in the past six months, moms vs dads and overall, 2023
• Out-of-home leisure activities skew to younger Canadians
  • Figure 25: “Out-of-home” leisure activities done in the past six months, by age, 2023
• These outings are susceptible to economy-level trends
  • Figure 26: “Out-of-home” leisure activities done in the past six months, by expected change in financial situation in 12 months, 2023
• Leisure activities overlap and create opportunities
  • Figure 27: Leisure activities done in the past six months, overall vs consumers who have gardened for leisure in the past six months, 2023
• • Figure 28: Juliet Sear Instagram post, 2019
  • Figure 29: Leisure activities done in the past six months, overall vs consumers who have gone to a movie theatre in the past six months, 2023

Preferred At-home Leisure Activities

• Media plays a central role in at-home leisure
  • Figure 30: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home, 2023
• • Figure 31: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: media, by age, 2023
• Moms and dads have different, potentially conflicting ways of spending their free time
  • Figure 32: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: media, moms vs dads, 2023
• • Figure 33: BDI Furniture Instagram post, 2022
• South Asian Canadians are an important audience for streaming platforms
  • Figure 34: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: media, overall vs South Asian Canadians, 2023
• Reading, chores and naps show that not all free time is digital
• Helping busy Canadians find more time for leisure
  • Figure 35: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: books, chores and naps, men vs women, 2023
• • Figure 36: Indigo, Chapters and Coles Facebook post, 2023
• Parents want to spend time with their kids
  • Figure 37: Most likely to do with a few hours of free time at home: spend time with my kids, parents by age of children in household, 2023

Preferred Out-of-home Leisure Activities

• Time away from home can be leisurely or productive
  • Figure 38: Most likely to do with more free time away from home, 2023
• Leisurely out-of-home activities are prime opportunities for consumer expenditures
• Travel skews to married people without kids, but is low for dads and French Canadians
  • Figure 39: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: travel, by marital and parental status, 2023
• • Figure 40: Via Rail Canada Instagram post, 2023
  • Figure 41: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: travel, overall vs Quebec English and French speakers, 2023
• • Figure 42: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: travel, overall vs parents by gender, 2023
• Relaxing activities can resonate with financially stressed Canadians
  • Figure 43: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: relaxing activities, by finances compared to a year ago, expected finances in 12 months and concerns about rising prices/inflation, 2023
• Struggling restaurants could benefit from targeting older Canadians
  • Figure 44: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: dine in at restaurants, by age, 2023
• Family outings are important to parents
• • Figure 45: Espace pour la vie Facebook post, 2023
• Time away from home can be productive
• Men more likely to exercise, work and improve skills; women more likely to shop in their free time
  • Figure 46: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: productive activities, men vs women, 2023
• • Figure 47: F45 Training Instagram post, 2023
  • Figure 48: Chang School TMU Instagram post, 2021
• • Figure 49: HomeSense Instagram post, 2022
• Productive leisure time is more interesting to younger Canadians
  • Figure 50: Most likely to do with more free time away from home: productive activities, by age, 2023

Changes in Leisure Activities

• Canadians are spending more time at home
  • Figure 51: Doing more of compared to a year ago, 2023
• Food and entertainment see the biggest shifts
  • Figure 52: Activities compared to a year ago: food and entertainment, 2023
• People who are struggling financially are the most likely to spend more time at home
  • Figure 53: Doing more compared to a year ago: cooking and watching TV/movies at home, by financial situation, 2023
• • Figure 54: Doing less of compared to a year ago: dining in at restaurants and going to movie theatres, by financial situation, 2023
• • Figure 55: The Keg Steakhouse Instagram post, 2023
• South Asian and Black/African Canadians are cooking/watching more at home
  • Figure 56: Doing more of compared to a year ago: cooking and watching TV/movies at home, overall vs Chinese, South Asian and Black/African Canadians, 2023
• Canadians are cutting expenditure more than Americans
  • Figure 57: Spending over the past 12 months: food in restaurants, Canada vs USA, 2023
• • Figure 58: Spending over the past 12 months: leisure/entertainment, Canada vs USA, 2023
• Other types of outings are seeing a decline, too
  • Figure 59: Doing less of compared to a year ago, 2023
• Shopping mall declines could indicate a longer-term shift in behaviours
• • Figure 60: Activities compared to a year ago: going to shopping malls, by generation, 2023
• • Figure 61: Yorkdale Style Instagram post, 2023
• Exercise trends have been less drastic than other leisure activities
  • Figure 62: Activities compared to a year ago: exercising, 2023
• • Figure 63: Sportchek Instagram post, 2023
  • Figure 64: Northern Fitness Instagram post, 2022
• Younger consumers are the most likely to be exercising more
  • Figure 65: Doing more of compared to a year ago: exercising, by age, 2023
• • Figure 66: Fabletics Instagram post, 2023

Tech and Media in Leisure

• Tech is a leisure time fixture for most consumers
• Younger Canadians are the most likely to stay connected
  • Figure 67: Tech usage during leisure time (% agree), by age, 2023
• Multicultural consumers are more likely to multitask with tech and media
  • Figure 68: Tech usage during leisure time (% agree), overall vs Chinese, South Asian and Black/African Canadians, 2023
• Content creation is a leisure activity for some Canadians
• Younger Canadians are driving this trend
  • Figure 69: “I create content in my free time” (% agree), by age, 2023
• • Figure 70: “I create content in my free time” (% agree), by age and gender, 2023
• How to capitalize on this leisure trend
• There’s an opportunity to swing the pendulum the other way
  • Figure 71: Petit St. Vincent Instagram post, 2023

Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations

• Data sources
• Consumer survey data
• Consumer qualitative research
• Mintel Trend Drivers
• Abbreviations and terms
• Abbreviations
• Terms