Looking ahead to Holiday Gift Giving,
Majority (54%) Agrees that Compared to Last Year, Receiving a Gift of Cash is More Welcome

Toronto, ON - As Canadians brace for the hustle and bustle of the quickly-approaching holiday season, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of PayPal has revealed that a majority (54%) of Canadians `agree' (19% strongly/35% somewhat) that `compared to last year, receiving a gift of cash is more welcome', likely a function of tough economic times. Conversely, nearly one half (46%) `disagrees' (15% strongly/32% somewhat) that they'd be more accepting of receiving cash this year as a gift.

Furthermore, one half (47%) of Canadians `agrees' (16% strongly/31% somewhat) that they'd `prefer to receive money over other gifts' this year, an increase of four points from last year's survey. Interestingly, a majority (55%) `agrees' (11% strongly/43% somewhat) that they are `indifferent' about what people give them as a gift.

With an increasing number of Canadians preferring to receive the gift of money this holiday season, it appears that many Canadians recognize that they're not the only ones who might be strapped for cash. Four in ten (42%) say they're `likely' (15% very/26% somewhat) to `give the gift of money to friends and family this holiday season', an increase of four points over last year. It appears this gift of cash will be well received in most cases, as just 16% say they'd `be offended' if someone gave them money as a gift and (84%) `disagree' (53% strongly/31% somewhat) that they would be offended.

`Tis the Season for Bargain Hunting...

Most Canadians (90%) will have a holiday-spending budget this year. Two in ten (21%) say their budget is `strict', while more than four in ten say their budget is only `somewhat strict' (45%) or `not very strict' (23%).

Likely in order to fall within their budgetary targets, most (86%) Canadians are `likely' to comparison shop to find the best price on an item, and a similar proportion are likely to `take advantage of special offers and promotions'. Three in ten (30%) are `likely' to shop from U.S. merchants this year.

Online Shopping...

One in three (34%) online Canadians says they're `likely' (11% very/23% somewhat) to `shop online to avoid the long lines and crowds at the mall', perhaps to avoid a stressful situation where tempers might flare. In fact, one quarter (24%) of all Canadians say that at some point during the holiday season they're `likely' (8% very/16% somewhat) to `get angry at a rude or unhelpful sales person'.

Further, one in three (33%) Canadians will do `all (2%) or `some' (31%) of their holiday shopping online this year (up 3 points from last year), while just four in ten (41%) will do `none' and 26% will do `hardly any' holiday shopping online.

When it comes time to process those online transactions, four in ten (41%) online Canadians say they're `likely' (21% very/20% somewhat) to `use a secure payment method - like PayPal - to avoid sharing their financial information with online merchants'.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 26 and 28, 2009, on behalf of PayPal. For this survey, a national sample of 1,025 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please 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 responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

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