Annual Shopping Poll: Canadians Shop Smart this Holiday Season
Poll shows Canadians employ a range of clever strategies for holiday shopping
TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2018 /CNW/ - The holiday shopping season is in full swing and gifts aren't the only holiday expense, according to a recent poll by Ebates.ca. Canadians are also spending money on holiday entertaining (92 per cent), purchasing holiday décor (71 per cent), buying new clothes and accessories for holiday events (69 per cent), and travel to see family and friends (58 per cent). These secondary holiday expenses can add an additional $528 on average to the $602 Canadians are already spending on holiday gifts this season for a total of $1,130.
"Canadians may be spending more this year, but they are finding creative ways to stretch their holiday shopping budgets further," said Belinda Baugniet, VP of marketing and resident shopping expert at Ebates.ca. "If there's one pattern we've observed through our annual surveys, it's that Canadians are smart shoppers who engage in loyalty programs that offer points and cash back, as well as social media and apps that lead them to the best deals."
2018 Shopping Trends
Canadians seem to have adopted Black Friday and Cyber Monday as their kick-off to holiday shopping, with 40 per cent saying November is the most popular month to start their holiday gift buying. While most Canadians have already begun or even finished their holiday shopping, 35 per cent say they get their holiday shopping done just in the nick of time with 48 per cent of Canadians saying they complete their holiday shopping in December.
The majority of Canadians intend to do at least some of their holiday shopping online this year (83 per cent), dedicating on average more than one-third (36 per cent) of their holiday budget to online shopping. Those under 45 years-old anticipated the highest rate of online spending (44 per cent) compared to those 45+ who are less inclined to shop online this holiday season (29 per cent). Parents, who plan to spend an average of $762 on holiday gifts this year, also plan to do a good portion of their shopping online (41 per cent), as compared to those without kids (33 per cent). Online shoppers are more likely to say they enjoy buying gifts (64 per cent) versus those not doing shopping online (44 per cent).
Smart Strategies
Canadians are not slowing down when it comes to filling up their virtual and physical shopping carts this year, but regardless of where they shop Canadians employ a range of clever strategies to make the most of their holiday budget. Sixty-three per cent of Canadians redeem loyalty points to purchase gifts and 61 per cent make a point of shopping with retailers that offer loyalty programs or rewards, while 45 per cent intentionally shop with retailers that offer cash back. Other strategies include:
- 56 make a point of shopping with retailers that have coupons
- 36 per cent use mobile apps or mobile payment
- 33 per cent use store mobile apps to make purchases
Gift Cards
The majority of Canadians (87 per cent) typically purchase gift cards as holiday gifts, noting that they simplify the gift giving process (84 per cent). Nearly as many (86 per cent) are happy to receive a gift card. Half of Canadians (49 per cent) say they purchase gifts for others using gift cards they received as a present, something more prevalent among dads (65 per cent) and younger shoppers under 35 (58 per cent).
Buying Habits
The poll also looked at Canadians' buying habits online versus in-store, finding that top online purchases for the holidays include books, electronics & toys, while top in-store purchases include gift cards, clothing and accessories, and health and beauty. When it comes to shopping online, time-saving or convenience was the top benefit cited (26 per cent), followed by the ability to find more unique items not available in stores (20 per cent) and better prices (14 per cent). In fact, regardless of how they shop, most Canadians are focused on finding the best possible gift (58 per cent) versus the best deal (42 per cent).
Boxing Day
Canadians plan to accomplish a lot of shopping on Boxing Day but the majority plan to buy presents for themselves (76 per cent). While many Canadians have a separate budget put aside for Boxing Day (44 per cent), most make use of gift cards received over the holidays (93 per cent) to fund their Boxing Day purchases. In addition to presents for themselves, purchases made on Boxing Day will also include gifts for occasions throughout the year, such as birthdays (48 per cent), holiday décor and greeting cards (29 per cent) and gifts for next year's holiday (27 per cent).
The top items purchased on Boxing Day include clothing and accessories (64 per cent), electronics (57 per cent), toys (32 per cent), health and beauty (35 per cent), books (27 per cent), gift cards (23 per cent), and sports gear (24 per cent).
About the survey The Ebates Canada survey was conducted online in October 2018 with a nationally representative sample of 1,022 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 savvy shoppers around the world and has paid out nearly $1 billion to its global members. Ebates.ca membership is free and allows consumers to shop online at over 750 of their favourite top-name retailers while earning Cash Back on every purchase they make, paid out quarterly in the form of a #BigFatCheque or via PayPal. Founded in 1998, Ebates began international expansion with the launch of Ebates Canada in 2012 headquartered in Toronto, and was acquired by Rakuten, Inc. in 2014. Ebates.ca is proudly and specifically built by Canadians, for Canadians.
SOURCE Ebates Canada
Sammi Braverman, 647.354.0576, [email protected]
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