Newcomers to Canada value information from online news as much as they do recommendations from friends and family.
That is one insight from this year’s edition of Solutions Research Group’s annual Newcomers to Canada study, which tracks Canada’s fast-growing immigrant population.
A record 3.3 million newcomers have been projected to arrive in Canada over the 2016 to 2025 time period, most of them an average 10 years younger than the average Canadian population. They have more children in their households with half of them (49%) having children, compared to 37% overall in all Canadian households.
The majority of newcomers (54%) turn to online sources to find out about life in Canada, the same number as those who say they do so through recommendations and suggestions from family and friends.
When asked which language would be their preference for TV, 55% say one of Canada’s official languages. In-language TV is preferred to keep up with established viewing habits and a way to stay connected to home cultures, but English and French TV is a window to life in their new country and also a way to improve language fluency.
Looking at the TV and video consumption preferences of newcomers, CBC, CTV and Netflix are the leading brands. Top in-language TV and video options for people from China include Fairchild, CCTV, Omni; GMA Pinoy, TFC for newcomers from the Philippines; and Aapka Colors, Sony and ZeeTV for newcomers from South Asian countries.
Their fondness for online activities is evident in their online shopping habits. Half of newcomers purchased groceries online last month, greater than the general population benchmark of 34%. Their average weekly grocery spend is $188, more than 20% higher than that of the general population, with one-in-five spending more than $250.