Economic trends 2024-2025: opportunities for Quebec SMEs

In 2024-2025, Quebec’s economic context remains challenging, but it also offers real opportunities for SMEs that know how to position themselves intelligently. Despite a slowdown in job growth (+1.0% in 2024 compared to 2023) and a downturn in certain sectors such as retail (-1.2% of jobs), the economy continues to transform, thanks in particular to digitization, e-commerce and the rise of automation and artificial intelligence solutions. (statistique.quebec.ca)

For entrepreneurs and managers of Quebec SMEs, the challenge is no longer simply to “keep up”, but to take advantage of new market dynamics: rapidly changing online consumer habits, increased demand for proximity and personalized services, improved internal management tools (CRM, sales automation, chatbots, etc.). In this context, specialized partners like Nuaweb can play a key role in transforming these trends into genuine growth drivers.

This article takes stock of the main economic trends 2024-2025 that are impacting Quebec SMEs, with recent statistics, concrete examples and courses of action to take advantage of this new reality.

1. Contrasting economic conditions, but growth niches for SMEs

The Quebec labor market continued to grow in 2024, adding 43,200 jobs, up 1.0% on 2023, to reach 4,566,000. However, this increase is more moderate than in previous years, reflecting a less dynamic economic environment marked by inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and increased household caution. (statistique.quebec.ca)

Some industries still fared well: public administration (+3.1%), educational services (+4.5%) and healthcare and social assistance (+3.2%). Conversely, the trade industry recorded a 1.2% drop in employment. For many SMEs in the retail sector, this means pressure on margins, increased competition and the need to rethink their business model.

On the retail side, the figures speak for themselves: in 2024, retail sales in Quebec reached $180.3 billion, compared with $177.1 billion in 2023. The sector is worth over $26 billion and accounts for 5.9% of Quebec GDP, with over 32,000 establishments, 80% of which have fewer than 20 employees – the majority of them SMEs. (cqcd.org)

On the other hand, the labor shortage, although easing, continues to weigh on the organization of small businesses: 10,820 vacancies remained in the retail sector in Q4 2024, or 2.6% of positions, compared to 3.9% a year earlier. (cqcd.org) This slight improvement gives SMEs a little oxygen, but still makes the automation of certain tasks (customer service, lead management, order tracking, etc.) strategic.

On the international trade front, Quebec’s international merchandise exports rose by 4.8% in January 2025 compared with December 2024, following a 2.2% decline the previous month. On a cumulative basis, exports are up 12.6% on January 2024. (statistique.quebec.ca) For manufacturing or exporting SMEs, this confirms the existence of international opportunities, provided they are visible online, commercially structured and capable of effectively managing customer relations.

To sum up: the macroeconomic context 2024-2025 is not straightforward, but it is not closed to opportunities. SMEs that invest in digital technology, process optimization and customer proximity can not only weather the storm, but also win market share.

2. The boom in e-commerce: an opportunity for local SMEs

E-commerce is no longer a secondary channel: it has established itself as a consumer reflex for the majority of Quebecers. According to the NETendances 2024 report, 74% of adult Quebecers made at least one online purchase in 2024, confirming that online shopping is now a well-established habit in the province. (journaldemontreal.com)

However, only 47% of online shoppers claim to have purchased from Quebec merchants. In other words, 53% of online spending is bypassing local retailers and going to major international players. (journaldemontreal.com) For a Quebec SME, this represents a huge source of opportunity: there is a connected clientele ready to buy online, but who don’t yet find you, or don’t clearly perceive your value in relation to the web giants.

Recent data also show a shift in favor of local commerce: a survey by the Academy of Digital Transformation reveals that nearly 73% of Quebec Internet users say they will have reduced or stopped their purchases from American merchants by 2025. In March 2025, 17% of those surveyed said they were boycotting Amazon, and 32% making fewer purchases there, with Amazon Prime subscriptions dropping from 38% to 29% in just over a year. (moncarnet.com)

At the same time, Amazon has announced the closure of its seven Quebec warehouses in January 2025, affecting around 2,000 employees and almost 1,500 delivery workers. (lemonde.fr) This physical withdrawal from Quebec territory further reinforces the relevance of local e-commerce solutions, capable of offering a fluid, fast shopping experience aligned with the values of local consumers (proximity, environment, support for the local economy).

For SMEs, it is therefore strategic to :

• Set up a professional, fast and mobile-friendly online store(conversion, secure payment, inventory management, etc.).
• Optimize search engine optimization (SEO) to be visible when consumers are looking for “near me” products or local alternatives to the international giants.
• Offer flexible delivery and pick-up options: click & collect, drop-off points, integration with local or eco-friendly carriers.
• Promote the company’s local DNA (product origin, local jobs, reduced environmental impact).

Specialized partners such as Nuaweb (e-commerce section) support Quebec SMEs in creating high-performance online stores, adapted to the reality of the Quebec market and current purchasing behavior.

3. Automation, AI and CRM: addressing labor shortages and boosting productivity.

In a context where the labor shortage remains present, even if it is easing, automation and artificial intelligence are becoming strategic allies for Quebec SMEs. The retail sector, for example, will still have more than 10,000 vacancies by the end of 2024. (cqcd.org) Rather than endure this lack of resources, more and more companies are opting to digitize and automate part of their processes.

Concrete opportunities include :

• AI and chatbots for customer service: answer frequent questions 24/7, qualify requests, direct to the right products or services, reduce pressure on in-house teams. Tailor-made solutions like those offered by Nuaweb (AI & chatbots) make it possible to offer personalized service without necessarily increasing the size of teams.
• Marketing automation: targeted emailing, abandoned cart relaunch, automatic segmentation of customers according to their purchasing behavior.
• Integration of a modern CRM to centralize customer data, track sales opportunities, automate repetitive tasks (reminders, follow-up, reminders) and improve service quality.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are particularly strategic in today’s environment: they help to increase the value of each contact, structure prospecting and retain existing customers. For an SME, it is often more profitable to optimize the lifecycle of existing customers than to increase advertising expenditure at all costs.

Implementing a CRM tailored to Quebec SMEs (bilingual, compliant with local laws, adapted to B2B or B2C sales realities) is therefore a high-return investment. Nuaweb’s Gestion CRM page presents just such a solution, integrating automation, performance monitoring and strategic support.

Finally, AI is not limited to chatbots: it can analyze sales data, identify the most profitable products, predict demand or even automatically recommend complementary products. In a volatile economic environment, having these kinds of tools at your disposal helps managers make decisions based on data, not intuition alone.

4. Global digitization: websites, brand image and customer experience

Beyond e-commerce and CRM, the major trend for 2024-2025 is the global digitization of the enterprise. For many SMEs, the first digital impression remains the website. Yet, in a context where 74% of adult Quebecers buy online, and where a majority of shoppers compare first on the web before going to the store, not having a professional site or leaving an obsolete one can be costly in missed opportunities. (journaldemontreal.com)

In 2024-2025, the main expectations customers have of a small business website are :

• Clear, fast navigation, especially on mobile.
• Complete, up-to-date information (prices, availability, services, opening hours, contact details, delivery times).
• A professional presentation of the brand image (design, photos, videos, testimonials).
• Seamless integration with other channels: social networks, newsletter, online store, intelligent contact forms.

To stand out in a competitive market, a Quebec SME needs to work not only on technical aspects (performance, SEO, security) but also on theuser experience. A site that is slow, unclear or not adapted to mobile devices will quickly be punished by visitors… and by search engines.

This is where specialized teams like Nuaweb (website creation) come in, able to combine design, performance, SEO and tool integration (forms, CRM, live chat, appointment scheduling, etc.). A modern web presence becomes all the more strategic as purchasing behavior continues to be shaped by digital technology, even when part of the transaction is still concluded in-store.

SMEs with a strong visual dimension (manufacturers, retailers, service companies, tourism, restaurants) can also benefit from professional video content to present their products, explain their services or tell their story. Video production, integrated into a coherent content strategy, improves both brand awareness and conversion rates on the website and social networks.

By combining a quality website, online store, CRM and AI tools, an SME acquires a true digital ecosystem that works for it 24/7, attracts leads, answers questions, generates sales and fuels strategic decisions.

Conclusion: transform economic trends into concrete opportunities for your SME

The 2024-2025 economic trends in Quebec paint a picture that is both challenging and full of opportunities. Overall employment growth is slowing, but some sectors are growing strongly. Retail faces challenges, but retail sales and e-commerce continue to grow. Over 74% of adult Quebecers buy online, while more than half of their digital spending still eludes local merchants, creating considerable room for growth for Quebec SMEs (cqcd.org).

In this context, successful companies are those that :

• Invest in a solid web presence and a professional website.
• Deploy a high-performance, customer experience-oriented online store.
• Implement automation, AI and CRM tools to improve productivity and service quality.
• Leverage data (sales, customer behavior, online journeys) to make better business decisions.

If you run a Quebec-based SME and want to turn these trends into concrete results: more customers, more online sales, greater internal efficiency and a professional brand image, you don’t have to do it all yourself.

Nuaweb, a Quebec agency specializing in AI and chatbots, CRM management, e-commerce, website creation and video production, supports local SMEs in their digital transformation, from strategy to implementation.

Take action now: schedule a free consultation with Nuaweb to assess your company’s digital potential, identify priorities and build a concrete plan for 2025 and beyond.