the CanadaVisa Team - 22 July, 2015
With a growing Muslim population in Canada, retailers are learning that there is a very significant consumer market in search of halal products. Many local stores are reporting recent increases in halal sales by as much as 80 per cent and many large retailers, such as Loblaws and Wal-Mart are now carrying a selection of halal products. The prevalence of halal products in Canada allows Muslims an easier way to maintain religious rituals.
Halal is much more than a diet. According to Shahed Amanullah, the founder of one of the largest series of Muslim websites (halalpalooza.com), it is “the underlying force behind everything that is deemed permissible religiously.” It extends beyond food to pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, hygiene products, nutritional supplements, music, books, art, travel; even marriage and finance.
Of Canada's current Muslim population of 850,000, half live in Ontario and half of those live in the Greater Toronto Area. Amanullah's websites list over 360 halal restaurants in Toronto alone. Islam is the fastest growing religion in Canada, giving Muslim's increasing purchasing power. The average halal-consuming household spends $1,623 on halal food annually and the Canadian domestic halal meat market is estimated at $214 million.
As Canadian retailers seek to cater to the growing Muslim-Canadian population, halal products are becoming much more widely available.
