Future Shop Vacation And Electronics Research

Vancouver, BC - An Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of Future Shop shows that half (51%) of Canadians have taken a cell phone with them on vacation. Roughly one-in-three (34%) Canadians have taken a digital camera on vacation. Far fewer Canadians have vacationed with a laptop (12%) or a PDA (7%, Personal Digital Assistant).

Of those Canadians who have taken a digital camera with them on vacation, 85% use it primarily for personal purposes. Likewise, 69% of those who have taken a cell phone with them on vacation use it primarily for personal purposes. In contrast, laptop computers tend to be used for a mix of work purposes (41%), personal purposes (31%) or both equally (28%).

In terms of future vacations, one-in-four (25%) Canadians plan on buying a digital camera before their next vacation. Fewer Canadians are planning to purchase a cell phone (14%), laptop computer (5%) or PDA (3%) before their next vacation.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted from March 23rd to March 25th, 2004, with a randomly selected sample of 1056 Canadian adults. This poll was fielded on Ipsos-Reid's national omnibus vehicle, the Ipsos-Reid Express. With a sample this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Smaller subsets of this sample will have larger margins of error. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census.

For more information on this press release, please contact:

Steve Mossop
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
(604) 257-3200
[email protected]

About Ipsos-Reid

Ipsos-Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos-Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada--including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country--all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos-Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, visit: www.ipsos.ca

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and reactions of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting and modeling and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2003, Ipsos generated global revenues of $644.2 million U.S.

To learn more, visit: www.ipsos.com

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