Canadians are on the hunt for pre-Christmas deals this holiday season

RetailMeNot.ca survey reveals Canadians looking to avoid lineups and shop stress-free

TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2013 /CNW/ - Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and the pre-holiday deals are just so delightful! Many Canadians know it's a seasoned tradition to take advantage of Boxing Day deals, however a recent survey conducted by RetailMeNot.ca found 63 per cent of Canadians surveyed find pre-Christmas deals to be just as good as Boxing Day, or better. In fact, 70 per cent of Canadians surveyed think Boxing Day deals are overrated.

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More than half (56 per cent) of the respondents plan to shop on Boxing Day this season, but a whopping 96 per cent would never be caught camping out overnight in front of a store for a deal. Fifty-seven per cent of respondents would only wait in a line for a discount of more than 40 per cent off, while 31 per cent would never wait in line for a deal.

Boxing Day continues to offer great deals, however Canadians can choose to avoid dashing through the snow to score a deal this year. With digital couponing sites like RetailMeNot.ca, consumers can find deals in one place during the hectic holiday season.

To lend a hand to stressed-out shoppers, RetailMeNot.ca has also teamed up with Smart Cookies, the daily guide to living a sweet life debt-free, to offer deals and tips on how to shop smart for last-minute holiday deals.

"It's becoming more common for retailers to offer pre-Christmas deals to keep sales strong throughout the entire holiday season," said Angela Self, co-founder of Smart Cookies. "While there will still be great Boxing Day deals for those who are willing to wait until after Christmas, RetailMeNot.ca has thousands of deals to help you shop in time for Christmas."

Of those surveyed who plan to shop on Boxing Day, surprising statistics were revealed:

• Hey Big Spender? Almost half (45 per cent) plan to spend $100 or less;
• T-Shirts and Tech Top the List: 31 per cent will be shopping for apparel while 27 per cent will be looking to buy electronics;
• Tightening the Purse Strings: 50 per cent of shoppers plan to spend the same or less than last year.

In addition to finding last-minute deals on RetailMeNot.ca, Smart Cookies share other tips to help you save this holiday season:

• Plan a daily savings session: A quick five minutes online each day could save you hundreds this holiday season. Check your naughty and nice lists twice and search for deals on gifts for everyone on your list, as well as everyday essentials. With a list at your fingertips, take five minutes each day to check in with sites like RetailMeNot.ca that have deals for multiple retailers;
• Know Your Frenemy: Keep tabs on your credit card purchases with automatic reminders. To help you avoid penalty charges and high interest rates, most credit card companies and banks now allow you to sign up for automatic text or email reminders to keep an eye on your balance and payment due dates.

RetailMeNot.ca regularly conducts consumer behaviour surveys to examine the buying habits of Canadians.

About RetailMeNot.ca
RetailMeNot.ca (www.retailmenot.ca) is a new digital coupon site in Canada. Its mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience with retailers serving Canada. RetailMeNot.ca promotes digital coupons from thousands of retailers who do business with Canadians. RetailMeNot.ca is operated by RetailMeNot, Inc. (NASDAQ:SALE), the world's largest digital coupon marketplace.

Facebook: Facebook.com/RetailmenotCanada
Twitter: @retailmenotca

About RetailMeNot, Inc.
RetailMeNot, Inc. (www.retailmenot.com/corp/) operates the world's largest digital coupon marketplace. The company enables consumers across the globe seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of digital coupons from retailers. RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced more than 500 million visits to its websites in the last 12 months. The RetailMeNot, Inc. portfolio includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the leading digital coupon marketplace in the United States; www.RetailMeNot.ca in Canada; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the leading digital coupon marketplace in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; www.Actiepagina.nl, a leading digital coupon site in the Netherlands; Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Ma-Reduc.com, leading digital coupon sites in France; www.Poulpeo.com, a leading digital coupon site with cash back in France; and www.Deals2Buy.com, a leading discount offer site in North America. RetailMeNot, Inc. went public in July 2013 and is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol "SALE." Investors interested in learning more about the company can visit: http://investor.retailmenot.com/.

About the survey:
From November 25 to November 26 2013, an online survey was conducted among 1,010 randomly selected Canadian residents who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error, which measures sampling variability, is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec language) census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a Smart Cookie, please contact:

Rachael Collier
Citizen Optimum
416 306 6641 office
416 995 1432 mobile
[email protected]

Christy Rabil
RetailMeNot, Inc.
512 777 2897 office
646 554 8873 mobile
[email protected]

SOURCE: RetailMeNot, Inc.

http://www.retailmenot.ca

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