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Footwear Wholesaling in Canada Industry Data and Analysis
The Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada has been navigating a complex landscape characterized by shifting consumer preferences and evolving distribution models. Dominated by key players like Nike, Wolverine World Wide and Adidas, the industry remains fragmented, with wholesalers striving to maintain relevance as manufacturers increasingly bypass traditional channels. Women's and girls' footwear continues to drive a substantial portion of sales, yet wholesalers face mounting pressure to justify their role in a supply chain that increasingly favours direct-to-retailer relationships. However, revenue has expanded at a CAGR of 0.7% over the past five years to reach an estimated $2.5 billion in 2025, when income is projected to drop by 4.5%. The industry has faced contraction because of a mix of economic pressures and structural changes. The expansion of e-commerce and direct sales has reduced reliance on intermediaries, especially for functions like quality assurance and distribution—areas once central to wholesalers' value proposition. Leading companies have shown resilience, but profitability has been uneven, reflecting broader challenges like profit compression and competition from global brands leveraging digital platforms to reach consumers directly. Also, the recent implementation of retaliatory tariffs between Canada and the US has introduced a new layer of complexity. Canada's 25.0% surtax on U.S.-made apparel and footwear, enacted in March 2025, could significantly strengthen costs for US products, creating pricing challenges for wholesalers reliant on US imports. Sustainability concerns and demand for specialized athletic footwear will shape consumer behaviour, creating opportunities for innovation in product lines and supply chain strategies. Economic growth and rebounding consumer confidence could provide tailwinds. Still, success might hinge on wholesalers redefining their niche—whether through enhanced customization, partnerships with niche brands, or leveraging data-driven insights to anticipate market shifts. The tariffs could drive wholesalers to diversify sourcing strategies, possibly strengthening partnerships with non-US manufacturers or investing in domestic production capabilities to reduce reliance on cross-border trade. Over the next five years, revenue will hike at a CAGR of 4.3% to reach an estimated $3.2 billion in 2030.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released April 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada operates under the NAICS industry code 41412CA. The Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada wholesales footwear, including athletic shoes, made of leather, rubber and other materials. Operators in this industry purchase shoes from manufacturers and resell them to retailers with minimal or no further development or processing. Most wholesalers in this industry undertake sales and administrative activities, such as establishing relationships with manufacturers and retailers. Related terms covered in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada include wholesale bypass, radio-frequency identification (rfid) and offshoring.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada include Women's and girls' footwear , Men's and boys' footwear and Other.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada include Nike and Wolverine World Wide Inc.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada in 2026?
The market size of the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada is $2.6bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada in 2025?
There are 347 businesses in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada?
The Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada?
The Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada?
The biggest companies operating in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada are Nike and Wolverine World Wide Inc.
What does the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada include?
Wholesaling men's and boys' footwear and Wholesaling women's and girls' footwear are part of the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada?
The company holding the most market share in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada is Nike.
How competitive is the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Footwear Wholesaling industry in Canada.
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