The domestic textile, clothing, and leather product manufacturing industry in Canada has fluctuated in size since 2012, perhaps following the common trend of many developed countries outsourcing manufacturing to developing countries to keep costs low. The value of apparel imported to Canada has increased from around nine billion Canadian dollars in 2011 to nearly 13.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2018.
Clothing retail sales in Canada amounted to approximately 34.4 billion Canadian dollars in 2018, up from 26.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2012. Over the years, the retail sales of women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing has been consistently highest in the fourth quarter, most likely because of the holiday season.
H&M is a Swedish clothing retailer that has become increasingly popular in Canada, generating revenue of almost 727 million Canadian dollars in 2018, up from around 300 million in 2010. In Ontario alone, there are 42 H&M stores, more than any other Canadian province. Although Reitmans, one of the most popular clothing retailers in Canada, is still the top women's apparel chain, its store count has seen a sharp decrease in the past several years, from nearly 1,000 locations in 2011 to 600 in 2019.
