The HYPER+ shopper: Canada’s e-commerce catalyst

There’s a wide spectrum of online shoppers out there, but all that really unites them is the fact that they buy things online. To reach them and earn their dollars, merchants need to understand who they are and what they want.

The segment of shoppers that merchants should pay the closest attention to is the most active shopper group: HYPER+ (a combination of the Hyper and Hyper Elite segments). They make over 25 purchases a year, and getting them on your side is no easy feat, but it’s well worth the effort. They’ve been big players in Canadian e-commerce since 2016. In 2019, they became more influential than ever. If you’re an e-commerce merchant hoping to invest in the right segment of your customer base, these shoppers have a ton of potential. Treat them right and they will reward you.

Getting to know HYPER+ shoppers

HYPER+ is the Canadian online shopper segment that buys the most frequently online. Their actions are driving the Canadian e-commerce market towards a bright future.

In 2016, HYPER+ shoppers made 48 per cent of all Canadian online purchases. Today, with Canadian e-commerce generating $49 billion in sales,¹ HYPER+ shoppers make 60 per cent of those purchases.² Context is everything – without it, those two stats might not seem very significant. When you consider the fact that HYPER+ shoppers make up only 18 per cent³ of the total Canadian shopper population, their buying power starts to look much more impressive.

In order to grasp the true value that these shoppers hold, it’s important to understand them. They’re not like other online shoppers, and a lot has changed for them since 2016.

They have lots of money to spend

HYPER+ shoppers have always been high-income earners. In 2016, their average household income was almost $96,000 – more than $10,000 above the average Canadian household income. Today, the household income of HYPER+ shoppers has risen to $106,000 – $13,000 more than the average Canadian household.

They’re pretty young

41 per cent of HYPER+ shoppers are millennials and 35 per cent are Gen-Xers. That means that they’re younger than the majority of Canadian online shoppers – which is good to know if you want to reach them.

They buy certain things online

The top shopping categories are the same for all online shoppers, but the amount of shoppers that have purchased from those categories is significantly higher in the HYPER+ segment. 58 per cent of HYPER+ shoppers have bought from the computer/electronics category, where only 42 per cent of Canadian online shoppers have. There’s a similar disparity with women’s apparel: 61 per cent of HYPER+ shoppers have purchased, compared to 41 per cent of all shoppers.

They plan to keep on buying

HYPER+ shoppers intend to purchase more in the coming year. About one-third of all shoppers indicated an intent to purchase more, whereas 43 per cent of HYPER+ shoppers indicated that same intent.

They’ll go the extra mile for their purchases

These shoppers are more comfortable with shopping outside of Canada than other segments. 77 per cent of all online shoppers buy from outside of Canada, but over 90 per cent of HYPER+ shoppers do.

Attracting the right customers: An action plan for e-commerce merchants

Customer loyalty is the key to lasting e-commerce success. To ensure your business thrives, you need to keep your best customers content and coming back for more.

It’s easy to get caught up trying to woo every customer that crosses your path. It’s expensive, too. In truth, some are a better investment than others.

HYPER+ shoppers require your attention

HYPER+ shoppers are younger, more affluent and experienced, currently buying more online and planning to buy more. Astonishingly, their value as customers has only increased in the last few years. They’re the holy grail of online shoppers. Do whatever you can to impress them and persuade them to spend their dollars at your store.

It won’t be easy as pie

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the HYPER+ segment will buy more and more from your business without making you work for it. They have higher expectations than other shoppers. If you’re not providing them with an excellent shopping and shipping experience, they won’t hesitate to find what they want somewhere else.

Grab and hold their attention

If you want to tap into the huge growth opportunity that this lucrative customer segment holds, you need to optimize your checkout, shipping and operations for success at every turn. Provide them with a best-in-class shopping and delivery experience to satisfy their high expectations.

Other customer segments have a lot of potential, too

Before you put all your eggs in the HYPER+ basket, it’s important to note that there’s still tons of potential in less frequent shoppers, too.

It’s well worth the effort to try to convert frequent (7-12 purchases per year) and occasional (2-6 purchases per year) shoppers into HYPER+ shoppers. These shoppers are a potential gold mine for retailers looking to build loyalty and revenue within their existing customer base. By addressing the needs and expectations of all consumer segments, merchants can coax less frequent shoppers to purchase more often and eventually convert them into valuable and loyal HYPER+ shoppers.

Sources:
¹ eMarketer. Retail E-commerce Sales in North America, by Country, May 2019.
^2 3 Canada Post. 2018 Canadian Online Shopper Study, CPC 18-200, April 2018.