A new survey from IMI shows that more than half of consumers reported switching to a Canadian product after finding out where the item was made.

According to a consumer-research poll of 1,000 people last month, 56% of Canadians made such switches in the aisles last month. The figure rises to 63% in Quebec and 60% for households earning more than $125,000.

Other findings show that 50% of Canadian consumers switched from a product they identified as “I buy most often” to a product made in Canada that represented something “I don’t normally buy.”

IMI says in the report that supporting Canada is a “low-hanging opportunity to recruit into your brand, product or service.”

Also, 44% of respondents report they paid full price for a product made in Canada and avoided a U.S. product on sale.

A separate survey from IMI in May of approximately 10,000 Canadian consumers revealed that 66% of respondents purchased a product because it was “made in my country” compared with 68% from April.

IMI said consumer actions are becoming stable, normal behaviours in the country and that “made-in-Canada” and “local” enthusiasm was most prominent within the aged 40-plus demographic.

Data also showed that 43% of consumers reported seeing the “right amount” of “buy Canadian” messaging, while 28% reported seeing “too few” and 20% said they’ve seen “too much.”

In a survey of the top brands that participants viewed as best supporting community, Tim Hortons (15%), Canadian Tire (9.5%), McDonald’s (5.3%) and Walmart (4.5%), came out on top.