Canadians Spend More Than They Planned For Parents-To-Be, Average of $71: Ebates.ca Poll
Despite generosity, majority wouldn't buy a baby gift for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
TORONTO, March 18, 2019 /CNW/ - When it comes to the Royals, Canadians remain fascinated with the pending arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's baby. With an expected due date in April, half (52 per cent) will be following the news according to a recent poll by Ebates.ca (a Rakuten Company) though not surprisingly, women are much more likely to be keeping tabs than men (63 per cent vs 42 per cent). And while they are evenly split on on whether the newest royal will be a boy or girl, the majority of Canadians (73 per cent) agree that Prince Harry and Meghan can well afford their own baby gifts.
"Despite how Canadians feel about baby gifts for the Royal couple, an interesting finding from the survey is that they are actually spending a little more on this category than what they say is an appropriate amount – nearly 30 per cent more on average," said Belinda Baugniet, VP of marketing and resident shopping expert at Ebates.ca. "Whatever the reason for this discrepancy, Canadians can use clever savings tools to help offset the extra cost and stay within budget."
When it comes to what they actually spend on baby gifts, Canadians are quite generous, dropping an average of $71. This is compared to what they feel is an appropriate amount to spend for baby showers and new baby gifts, which 44 per cent of Canadians agree is between $25 and $50, with the average being a little higher at $56. Whether they get caught up in the feels or simply trying to keep up with the Joneses, it turns out that Canadians are spending more on baby gifts than they anticipate.
Should you use a baby registry?
Royal protocol discourages gift giving since the Royal Family already receives so many and while the majority don't think Prince Harry and Meghan should register for any baby gifts as they can well afford their own, 18 per cent of Canadians think their registry should include baby clothes, followed by baby room furniture (12 percent) and items like strollers, high chairs and car seats (11 per cent). Overall, however, Canadians don't seem to love baby registries, not only when it comes to the Royals. Perhaps they already have a preferred gift or retailer in mind but 48 per cent say they select a gift from a baby registry only sometimes, while 33 per cent say never.
Baby items can be notoriously expensive, and if you have a lot of friends who are having babies the costs can add up quickly. But there are ways to give expecting parents the gifts they need while saving money. Here are a few more tips for buying newborn baby gifts that won't break the bank:
- Stick to the basics. Most useful are items such as diapers, swaddle blankets, cotton onesies, and bibs as these get heavy use and wear out quickly from being constantly thrown in the wash. Babies grow so quickly; rattles and shakers are inexpensive gifts but are great for developing motor skills and keeping babies' attention.
- Look for clearance items. You've got at least 6 months to search for gifts. Look for sales and check out the clearance items to snag a deal on a great gift at a discounted price. Get creative with your wrapping and presentation to give it a personalized touch – there's plenty of inspo online.
- Get paid to shop. With hundreds of retail partners that carry items for babies and kids, Ebates.ca is a great way to shop from a large selection of stores while earning Cash Back on your purchases, including on gift cards.
About the survey The Ebates Canada survey was conducted online in late January 2019 with a nationally representative sample of 1,007 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], BlueSky Communications
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