Online Shopping Eases Back-to-School Transition this Year

Finding best deals and avoiding line-ups are top reasons for shopping online

TORONTO, Aug. 8, 2016 Love it or hate it, the kids are heading back to school one month from today, and while over 50 per cent of Canadians are looking forward to getting back to a routine, more than one-third cite expenses as the number one stressor when it comes to back-to-school shopping, according to a recent poll by Ebates.ca.

"Easing the transition is key, whether that means finding the best deals for your pocketbook or the easiest way to shop," said Sari Friedman, director of marketing and resident shopping expert, Ebates.ca.

Canadian shopping habits

Not surprisingly, moms are overwhelmingly in charge of back to school purchases, while dads get a failing grade: only four per cent of men take on shopping duty for supplies.

When it comes to spending habits, almost half (45 per cent) of Canadians spend between $100-$200 per child, while nearly one-in-four spend more than that. In addition to clothes and supplies, more money is being spent on electronics. In fact, tablets are now the most popular electronic item purchased for back to school (27 per cent) reflecting the larger trend of increasing tablet usage among Canadians. Computers came in at a close second (21 per cent).

Making the best of the transition

Maximizing on savings is an important way to ease the transition on your wallet, too. Almost 40 per cent say that expenses are what they dislike most about the back to school season, and when it comes to finding the lowest prices, 77 per cent say they research online for the best deals. These findings extend to making purchases too, as 80 per cent will be shopping online – at least in part – for their back to school needs, up by 30 per cent from last year. The reason? No line-ups.

Here are a few more money-saving tips to help stay on budget:

• Make it a game – the Family Budget Battle. Build a list of what the kids will need for the new school year. Let them know the rules & how much they have to spend. Search your favourite stores in teams with the parents as the team captains and jot down the prices or add to the cart. Make sure they stick to the budget by deciding which items they truly need and which they can do without. Before you check out or save the items for a later purchase, chat about how this can teach them how to stretch a dollar. Fun for the whole family!
• Get cash back for just about everything you can buy online. Earn cash for purchases you would make anyway from by visiting Ebates.ca providing access to cash back rewards with more than 650 retailers. There is no need to fight the crowds at the malls or drive across the border to save extra cash on top of the deepest discounts you'll find all year long.
• Double down on rewards. You'll often find the best deals of the year on laptops, so look for exclusive savings for students or teachers with 10-20% off or a gift with purchase. Then, pair with rewards like cash back from Ebates.ca. Save yourself time by finding your latest deals in one spot without having to hunt for coupons on each site individually.
• Think outside the box. Check out summer clearance for savings on items they will need in the school year like tech accessories, clothing and more. You can also get great travel deals on hotels at this time since many parents will be helping their post-secondary students move into dorms or housing.

About the survey The Ebates Canada survey was conducted online in July 2016 with a nationally representative sample of 2,610 Canadians. A sample of this size is accurate to within +/-3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About Ebates Inc. The Ebates brand supports a strong community of millions of savvy shoppers around the world. Ebates.com was founded in 1998 and has paid over $300,000,000 in cash to its global members. In 2012, Ebates began international expansion with the launch of Ebates Canada, specifically designed by Canadians for Canadians. Ebates.ca membership is free. To earn cash back, online shoppers log in to Ebates.ca and click through to a partner retail site to complete their purchase. Ebates.ca then tracks the purchase and offers back in cash a percentage of everything bought. Every quarter, Ebates.ca sends members their cash back account balance in the form of a #BigFatCheque or #BigFatPayment through PayPal. Members also have the option to send their cash back to a designated charity.

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SOURCE Ebates Canada

Image with caption: "Ebates.ca (CNW Group/Ebates Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160808_C4033_PHOTO_EN_748444.jpg

Media inquiries contact: Jamie Sanders, 416-929-7740, [email protected]