Canadians Shopping Early to Reduce Stress of Back to School Shopping

Poll shows parents using a range of strategies to ease transition  

TORONTO, July 17, 2018 /CNW/ - While kids enjoy the summer break, many Canadian parents are employing a range of strategies to help reduce the stress of the back-to-school season on both themselves and their kids. Three quarters of parents do their back-to-school shopping early, with an increasing number (21 per cent) getting it out of the way in June or July to avoid the last-minute scramble, according to a recent poll by Ebates.ca. And 89 per cent of parents agree that they actually enjoy the back-to-school season if they have their shopping done early. The poll looked at the buying habits and sentiments of Canadians on back-to-school, one of the largest retail events of the year.

"Summer is such a short season in Canada and making the transition from the break can be stressful for everyone," said Belinda Baugniet, VP of marketing and resident shopping expert at Ebates.ca. "Parents see the advantages of plan-ahead strategies like getting their back-to-school shopping done and out of the way and finding clever ways to save."

Stress-busting strategies
Given that expense is the number one stressor for parents, the majority (80 per cent) look for deals to save money on back-to-school shopping and 61 per cent create a budget, while 42 per cent shop online to reduce the hassle.

And when it comes to what they think is most stressful for the kids, parents responded that having homework (27 per cent), waking up early (25 per cent) and not fitting in with other kids (21 per cent) topped the list. Stress-reducing strategies for them include getting kids back to their school sleep routine well before school starts (77 per cent), keeping kids' minds engaged during the summer with books/activities (74 per cent) and celebrating the end of summer with BBQ's or special outings so the kids don't feel so sad (59 per cent).

Keeping the kids engaged, whether in a routine or in the planning and shopping process, can also help ease them back into school mode. The majority (94 per cent) of Canadian parents say they do things to include their kids in the shopping process, for example bringing them along when buying in-store (70 per cent), letting them help pick out products (68 per cent), helping with the shopping list (60 per cent) and participating in online shopping (27 per cent). Nearly half (41 per cent) of parents are also starting good financial habits by making their kids aware of the budget, while 22 per cent have them help keep track of the budget.

Most parents say their kids help out around the house during the school year, from picking their own clothes for school (83 per cent), packing their own backpack/school bag (77 per cent), helping with chores around the house (73 per cent), making their own breakfast on school mornings (50 per cent) and packing their school lunch (42 per cent). Keeping to similar routines during the summer also helps smooth the transition when the school year starts. This can also help teach good savings habits, as 54 per cent of parents whose kids help out with chores around the house give them an allowance, which is used for a range of purposes from buying fun things (81 per cent) to savings (56 per cent) and/or helping out with items for school (23 per cent).

About the survey The Ebates Canada survey was conducted online in June 2018 with a nationally representative sample of 1,010 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

Tara Bolger, 647-228-3944, [email protected]