Seventy-eight per cent of smart home tech owners will purchase additional products this year, reveals Rakuten.ca poll
TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ - Just over a quarter of Canadians (27 per cent) currently own at least one piece of smart home technology. Rakuten.ca's (formerly Ebates.ca) recent survey indicates that Canadians with smart home tech are clearly hooked, as 78 per cent of them say they plan to purchase even more smart home technology within the next year.
Not everyone is on board however, 46 per cent of Canadians say they are unlikely to purchase smart home technology and for these Canadians the hesitation stems from various reasons: 68 per cent feel they simply do not need it, 40 per cent have privacy concerns and 36 per cent feel the technology is too expensive.
"This survey demonstrated that even though Canadians are at first reluctant to purchase smart home products, they eventually become hooked," says Jennifer LaForge, general manager, Rakuten.ca. "The majority of current smart home tech owners are willing to purchase additional devices this year, and it suggests their experience has been good."
Items most likely to be purchased include smart assistants (55 per cent), smart appliances (38 per cent), lighting control system (37 per cent), and security system and cameras (36 per cent).
Canadians' overall impression of smart home technology is generally good, with 61 per cent saying their impression is positive. That is because Canadians are being thorough when picking out a tech product. Younger Canadians even place importance on reviews (47 per cent) before considering any purchase. Canadians are also most concerned with price (76 per cent) and quality (69 per cent), though usefulness (61 per cent) and privacy/security (46 per cent) are also important factors when shopping for smart home products.
When it comes to tech products, sale and online availability play a big factor, with the majority of Canadians (83 per cent of women and 76 per cent of men) only purchasing tech products when there is a sale. They were also more likely to prefer online shopping for tech products, with 68 per cent reporting they find better prices and deals online than in brick and mortar stores. The survey also revealed that respondents find a better selection online (48 per cent) and prefer to shop online where they can also see reviews (44 per cent).
"As smart home tech becomes more standard, we'll likely see embrace smart home products," says Melissa Wagner, brand communications manager at Rakuten.ca. "The more products become available and are able to communicate with one another, the more convenient it becomes for households to introduce smart home products into their homes."
About the survey The Rakuten Canada survey was conducted online by Ignite Lab, a Toronto-based survey consultancy specializing in retail, travel and technology segments, in mid-August 2019 with a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Canadians. A sample of this size is accurate to within +/-3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About Rakuten.ca. Rakuten.ca is a leading e-commerce company that provides free membership for deals, rewards and Cash Back to its over 5 million Canadian members – and counting. Since launching in 2012, Rakuten.ca has helped Canadians earn over $70 million in Cash Back at over 750 of their favourite top-name retailers. Rakuten.ca headquarters are located in North York, Ontario, and is proudly built by Canadians, for Canadians. For more information, visit Rakuten.ca.
SOURCE Rakuten.ca
Elizabeth Glassen, [email protected] | Mobile: 647.309.0141, BlueSky Communications; Zulfikar Fahd, [email protected] | Mobile: 647.354.0575, BlueSky Communications
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