A mixed-methods research design was developed to address the following questions:

1. How has consumer vulnerability in Canada changed over time (between 2020 and 2024)?
2. How have vulnerable consumers in Canada adapted to market economic disruptions and market fluctuations?
3. What are the implications of consumer vulnerability in Canada, based on the research evidence?

To address these questions, a series of research methods were employed:

Literature review: A systematic search and rapid review of literature on the social and economic factors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid inflation, economic recession, vulnerable populations (in Canada), essential goods and services (e.g., food, shelter, energy, transportation, etc.), and more was carried out. In total, 79 articles were reviewed and their content synthesized.

Online survey of consumers in Canada: A three-wave survey was carried out using a quota-based random selection sampling strategy to obtain national samples that reflected Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census distribution for age, gender, and geographic distribution (see Appendix A). The aim of the sampling approach was to derive a large three-wave cross-sectional sample (n=10,619) as well as a reasonably robust longitudinal sample (n=2,107). The survey collected data on a wide variety of demographic indicators as well as relevant consumer topics relating to health and wellbeing, general finances, housing, food, transportation, energy and utilities, employment, and more.

Online focus group discussions: A total of nine focus group discussions were carried out (n=57) among those who found it sometimes hard and/or very hard to pay for basics, like food, housing, medical care, and heating. Discussions included three French language groups, a group of young adults, a group of parents and guardians with two or more children, a group with physical activity limitations, a group with difficulties seeing or hearing, a group of seniors (65+), and a group with credit card debt over $10,000 as well as household income under $70,000. Discussions delved into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer vulnerability, current financial wellbeing, financial literacy and adaptations, and prospects on future financial wellbeing.

Both the cross-Canada only survey and the focus group discussions featured active informed consent processes and were cleared by Advarra Canada (Pro00073862), an accredited research ethics board under the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP), which deemed the methods low-risk to participants.

Economic Analysis: Utilizing data from Environics Analytics’ catalogues, a series of microeconomic and macroeconomic analyses were conducted to provide a recent and robust background for understanding consumer vulnerability in Canada. This included examinations of national and provincial/territorial expenditure on basic needs, household credit card debt, mortgage debt and payment, household debt-to-liquid-asset ratio, rental expenditure, transportation costs, and electricity costs.