Е-commerce in Сanada: what will change by 2027

2026 turned out to be a rather difficult time for those accustomed to building e-commerce businesses based on the formula: ‘find a product – set up an advert – make a sale’.

Tariffs and global instability have disrupted the usual sales and marketing models. Conditions are changing. There is no clear understanding of how much a business will actually earn. Or perhaps it will lose money? What’s more, the trend of ‘making do with what you have’ has changed consumer behaviour. And whilst previously the seller’s task was to convince the buyer of the need for a purchase, now they have to prove that the buyer’s desire is logical and the costs are justified, according to experts at TORMEZIAN INC.

And at the tip of this iceberg lies AI. Buyers still use search engines and enter search queries, but they may no longer visit the website itself. Businesses are now also competing with AI intermediaries.

So: tariffs, shifting consumer trends, a more cautious approach to shopping, and AI intermediaries.

It is precisely in this order that the Canadian market should be viewed in the run-up to 2027. What should dropshippers, online shops and everyone else involved in e-commerce do in these circumstances? Tormezian Business Solutions suggests discussing what sellers can definitely control.

Changes in delivery costs, unplanned charges and unforeseen duties… Delivery costs are becoming an unpredictable part of the process. It is increasingly difficult to calculate them in advance. Sellers are having to cut costs: looking for more cost-effective delivery options and, where possible, using local warehouses in Canada.

Today’s shoppers are willing to pay a little more, but it is important for them to understand what they are paying for. To avoid complaints, additional costs - such as customs duties, handling charges or unexpected invoices from UPS or DHL - must be clearly stated on the seller’s website and in the product listing.

This is particularly important for dropshipping, according to experts at Tormezian Company. When calculating your margin, it is no longer sufficient to consider only the purchase price. Delivery costs and additional charges directly affect the profit from each sale.

A McKinsey study shows that shoppers are not simply cutting back on spending - they are changing their attitude towards shopping itself. 82 per cent of consumers are using products for longer before replacing them, 69 per cent prefer to repair rather than throw away, and 68 per cent are consciously reducing the amount of waste they produce. Advertising may lead a person to a product page, but it no longer necessarily answers the key question: why should I buy this?

The ‘Buy Canadian’ movement has gone beyond mere seasonal patriotism. For dropshippers, this means it is best not to leave the origin of a product and its place of dispatch unexplained. If the product is stocked in a warehouse in Canada or supplied by a Canadian brand, this can be stated directly on the product page, according to experts at Tormezian Business Solutions. If the product is manufactured outside the country, there is no need to hide this either.

In this case, it is more important to provide the customer with accurate information: where the goods are being dispatched from, how long delivery will take and how much it will cost. The less uncertainty there is after an order has been placed, the lower the likelihood of complaints and order cancellations.

What should be included in the catalogue? First and foremost, you need to review your product range by analysing demand and purchase prices. How long is a particular product likely to remain in demand? Will it still be of interest in a year or two’s time? What happens if a customer wants to return it? Are spare parts or consumables required? What will be needed in the event of a repair?

During periods of economic instability, it is more profitable to focus on products that will remain in demand for more than just one season.

Due to the trends in customer preferences mentioned above, when assessing your product range, you will need to compare new goods with their equivalents on the second-hand market. And if a new item costs only slightly more than a similar second-hand one, whilst also coming with a warranty and clear return conditions, the customer will most likely choose the new one.

The situation is more complicated with goods that cannot be resold at the same price once they have been returned. For example, electrical goods, furniture or clothing may lose some of their value once unpacked and used. If the difference between the original price and the resale price is too great, every return results in a direct loss for the seller. This must be taken into account when selecting products.

Experts at TORMEZIAN INC advise that a supplier should be assessed not only on price and product range, but also on what happens to the goods after purchase. How consistent is the quality from batch to batch? What happens with defective goods and complaints? Who pays for returns? How quickly are replacements provided? Are spare parts and consumables readily available?

These issues are particularly important for expensive, complex and technical goods. A supplier may change the materials, manufacturing process or configuration, and with that, the quality of the goods will also change. For the seller, this means more returns, complaints and expenses.

For a dropshipper, this becomes a problem. The buyer contacts the seller, even if the problem originated with the supplier. Therefore, when choosing a partner, one must consider not only the price of the goods, but also the potential costs of any issues that may arise after the purchase.

Tormezian Company carries out a thorough check of the reputation and details of potential suppliers and manufacturers. The company’s specialists verify production lead times and monitor stock levels in real time.

Selling via marketplaces costs businesses more than it might seem at first glance. On top of the sales commission, there are costs for logistics, storage, on-platform advertising, order fulfilment and returns.

A marketing model in which a dropshipper and seller combine a marketplace with their own website or online shop will be the most effective and profitable. Amazon and Walmart are ideal for attracting new customers, whilst a website or online shop is best for sales and subscriptions.

This is perhaps the least obvious yet most serious threat to traditional e-commerce. Most search queries today end without a single click on a link. The largest platforms have already integrated an ‘instant buy’ feature: the user asks a question, and the AI finds the answer.

The algorithm scans structured data. The neural network searches for an answer to a specific query and selects a source to reference. For businesses, this means it is essential to publish accurate data – information that the AI can cite, such as terms and conditions, deadlines, quantities, results and verified facts.

If the website lacks clear microdata, clear technical tables, actual stock availability and transparent warranty terms, the AI simply won’t display your shop in the search results.

Tormezian Business Solutions’ experts recommend that dropshippers recalculate their current margins. This should be done across all product ranges. It is important to understand how critical a change in any of the parameters in the sales cycle is to the business: delivery costs, duty charges, returns costs and other expenses.

You need to cut back on underperforming items and remove low-margin products, or those that cause problems with delivery and returns. Start or continue optimising your operations using AI. Prices, stock availability, product specifications and product feeds must be accurate and clear to both customers and search engines, as well as AI services.

2027 will not be any easier for e-commerce. Many things may change - from duties and delivery costs to the operating rules of marketplaces. Therefore, it is now more important not to try to predict what the market will be like, but to make your business more resilient to these changes.

Tormezian conducts a comprehensive 360° assessment of its partners’ and clients’ businesses. We source and select suppliers: we check their reliability and reputation, order fulfilment times and stock availability. We reduce the number of intermediaries in the supply chain wherever possible. We analyse the market and identify promising products for dropshipping businesses.