Last-minute shopping for Mother's Day made easy by Walmart Canada

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 7 /CNW/ - With just a few days until Mother's Day, Canadians will be out shopping in full force in search of the perfect gift for mom. According to research commissioned by Walmart Canada more than half (54 per cent) of Canadians shop for Mother's Day at the last minute.

"With so many great items to choose from, we've taken the guesswork out of shopping by identifying what we anticipate will be the hottest gifts for mom this Mother's Day," said Duncan Mac Naughton, Walmart's chief marketing and merchandising officer. "Mother's Day 2010 is about making mom feel special with gifts to fit anyone's budget."

Walmart's research showed that over 40 per cent of Canadians will be buying flowers for mom.

    
    - Mixed floral bouquet - $9.97
    - 10" flowering hanging baskets - $10
    - One dozen roses - $13.97
    

When Canadians were asked what best described their mom's sense of style, the majority, 66 per cent, answered casual and 18 per cent said mom's style was in need of a makeover. Fashionable casual apparel suggestions for mom this Mother's Day include:

    
    - Printed ruffle cami - $10
    - Ladies' wedge sandals - $15 - $22
    - Ladies' capris - $16
    - Satin fashion scarves - $7
    

Many kids may not think their moms are very tech-savvy, but Walmart knows they are.

    
    - Sony 7" digital photo frame - $86
    - Kobo e-Reader - $149
    - 8GB iPod Nano - $149
    - Toshiba 16" notebook computer - $548
    

To set the mood for Mother's Day and ensure mom gets some relaxation from day-to-day activities, Walmart suggests the following items:

    
    - Lindt boxed chocolates 120g - $5.68
    - Olay, Aveeno or Dove gift sets - $14.98 each
    - Sex and the City Seasons 1 - 6 - $18.88 each
    - Tassimo hot beverage system - makes cappuccino, lattes, coffee, tea,
       hot chocolate or espresso with the touch of button - $98
    

For the mom who has everything, gift cards are a top gift choice. One-third of Canadians polled said they will buy mom a gift card this Mother's Day.

    
    Summary of Walmart Canada's research findings*
    ------------------------------------------------
    - More than half (54 per cent) of Canadians shop for mom at the last
       minute.
    - Over 40 per cent of Canadians will be buying flowers for mom.
    - One third of Canadians will be purchasing a gift card for mom this
       Mother's Day.
    - Sixty-six per cent of Canadians described mom's sense of style as
       casual and 18 per cent said mom's style was in need of a makeover.
    

About Walmart Canada Corp.

Walmart Canada operates 317 outlets nationwide serving more than one million Canadians each day. With more than 80,000 associates, the company is the nation's third-largest employer. Walmart Canada's corporate culture was recently ranked among the 10 most admired corporate cultures in Canada by Waterstone Human Capital Inc.

* The research noted above was conducted for Walmart Canada using JWT's market research tool, the SONAR consumer Canadian panel.

For further information: Felicia Fefer, [phone] x 4466