MOST (87%) CANADIANS HAVE NOT ALTERED PERSONAL SPENDING SINCE THE TERRORIST ATTACKS

Toronto, ON- According to an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll released today, almost nine-in-ten (87%) Canadians indicate they have not altered their personal spending habits since the September 11th attacks. However, one-in-ten (9%) Canadians say they have spent less, while 4% indicate that they are spending more than before the attacks.

Looking forward, three quarters (75%) of Canadians do not plan on changing their spending habits in the next few months. Sixteen percent anticipate spending less, while one-in-ten (9%) plan on increasing expenditures in the next few months.

Postponement of travel is the biggest change anticipated. One-in-ten (13%) plan to postpone vacations outside of Canada due to the terrorist attacks, while 6% plan to postpone vacations within Canada until next year. Other purchases that have been put off until next year include the purchase of an automobile (5%), house or condominium (2%) or household appliances such as a stove, fridge or television (2%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between October 16th and October 18th, 2001. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

The current spending environment

Asked if they are spending more, less or the same on personal expenditures or purchases since the September 11th attacks, nine-in-ten (87%) Canadians indicate that they have not altered their personal spending habits.

• Residents of Atlantic Canada (91%), Quebec (90%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (89%) are the most likely not to have changed their spending habits. Followed by those in Alberta (86%), Ontario (85%) and British Columbia (83%).
• There are no significant differences among age, gender, education or income groupings.

However, one-in-ten (9%) Canadians say they have spent less on personal purchases since the terrorist attacks.

• Residents of British Columbia (12%) are more likely to have reduced their spending since September 11th. This compares with those in Alberta (10%), followed by Ontario (9%), Atlantic Canada (9%), Quebec (8%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (8%).
• Middle aged Canadians, those between 35 to 54 years of age (11%), and younger Canadians, those aged 18 to 34 (10%), are more likely to have reduced personal spending than those 55 years of age or older (7%).
• Canadians from households with incomes of less than $30,000 (11%) and from households of between $30,000 and just under $60,000 incomes (10%) are more likely than those from the households with over $60,000 incomes (8%) to indicate that they have reduced personal spending.

Four percent of Canadians report they are spending more on personal expenditures than previous to the terrorist attacks.

• Ontarians (6%) and British Columbians (5%) are more likely to report increased spending. Residents of Alberta (4%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (3%), Quebec (1%) and Atlantic Canada (0%) follow.

Looking forward - Anticipated spending till the end of the year

Looking forward, three-quarters (75%) of Canadians do not plan on changing their spending habits in the months up to the end of the year.

• Men (79%) are more likely to report this than women (71%).
• Residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan (79%) are more likely to indicate that they will not change their spending during the next few months with those in Ontario (76%) as second most likely to indicate this. Residents of Alberta (74%), Quebec (74%) and Atlantic Canada (74%) follow. British Columbians (69%) are least likely to report they will maintain the same spending level they had planned.
• As household income increase so does the likelihood of maintaining current spending levels. Canadians from the highest household income bracket (78%) are more likely than those in the middle (76%) or lowest income groups (67%) to maintain their current level of spending.
• This pattern is repeated when looking at age groupings. Older (77%) Canadians are more likely than middle aged (74%) or younger (73%) Canadians to plan on maintaining current spending levels.
• This view is also more likely shared by Canadians with a post-secondary education or a university degree (77%) than those with a high school (73%) or less than high school (69%) education.

Sixteen percent of Canadians anticipate spending less than planned between now and the end of the year.

• British Columbians (25%) are the most likely to anticipate spending less than they planned till the New Year. Residents of Atlantic Canada (19%) and Quebec (18%) follow. Ontarians (13%), Albertans (10%) and those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (8%) are least likely to plan on reduced spending over the next few months.
• Canadians in the lowest household income bracket (21%) are more likely than those in the middle (15%) or upper (13%) income brackets to say they plan on reducing their planned expenditures between now and the new year.
• Women (19% versus 12% of men) anticipate spending less than planned over the next few months.

One-in-ten (9%) Canadians anticipate increasing expenditures between now and the end of the year.

• Albertans (15%) are the most likely to report planning on increased personal spending between now and the end of the year. While those in British Columbia (4%) are the least likely to report this.

Anticipated Changes to Spending

Canadians appear to be more concerned about travel than other big-ticket expenditures. When asked if they were planning on purchasing a number of big-ticket items over the next few months, putting off such purchases or had never intended to purchase, travel appears to be the item most put off for the next few months. One-in-ten (13%) Canadians report planning on postponing vacations outside of Canada due to the terrorist attacks, while 6% plan to postpone vacations within Canada until next year.

• Canadians with a university degree (18%) and younger Canadians (16%) are more likely to postpone a vacation outside of Canada.
• Those in British Columbia (18%), Alberta (17%) and Atlantic Canada (16%) are more likely to postpone a foreign vacation, followed by Ontario (13%) and Quebec (11%) while residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (8%) are least likely to make this change.

Other purchases that have been put off until next year include the purchase of an automobile (5%), house or condominium (2%) and household appliances such as a stove, fridge or television (2%).

• Residents of Alberta (8%) and Ontario (6%) are most likely to be postponing the purchase of an automobile. Followed by those in British Columbia (4%), Quebec (4%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (2%) and Atlantic Canada (2%).
• Ontarians (5%) are more likely to be postponing the purchase of a house or condominium than those in other regions.

As for big-ticket purchases that Canadians still intend on purchasing between now and the end of the year, travel also heads the list. One in five (21%) plan on a domestic vacation, while 15% intend to purchase a vacation outside of Canada.

• Those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (25%) are more likely to be planning on a domestic vacation. Followed by Alberta (24%) and Ontario (23%), British Columbia (20%), Atlantic Canada (19%), and Quebec (18%).
• Ontarians (19%) are most likely to be planning a foreign vacation while Quebecers (7%) are the least likely.
• Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 (27%) are more likely than those aged 35 to 54 (23%) or 55 or older (14%) to be planning a vacation within Canada. This is also true for planning a vacation outside of the country. Younger (19%) Canadians are more likely to intend on doing this than older (13%) or middle aged (12%) Canadians.
• Canadians with a university degree (26%) or other post-secondary education (25%) are more likely than those with a high school (17%) or less than high school education (8%) to be planning a vacation within Canada. The same pattern holds for vacations outside of Canada -- those with a university degree (19%) and other post secondary (16%) are more likely than those with high school (11%) or less than high school (5%) education to express this intention.
• Canadians from the highest (29%) and middle (23%) household income brackets are more likely than those from the lowest income (10%) bracket to be planning a domestic vacation before the end of the year. In the case of foreign vacations, those from the highest household income (22%) bracket are more likely than those from the middle or lower income brackets (10%) One-in-ten (11%) Canadians plan on purchasing a major household appliance such as a stove, fridge or TV in the next few months.
• Those between 18 and 54 (13%) are more likely than those 55 years of age or older (6%) to be planning this type of purchase.

One in ten (9%) Canadians plan on purchasing an automobile before the end of the year.

• This intention is stronger among those in Atlantic Canada (14%) and British Columbia (11%), while those in Quebec (7%) are least likely to be planning this type of purchase.
• Men (11%) are more likely than women (7%) to be planning on the purchase of an automobile between now and the end of the year.
• Younger, those aged 18 to 34, and middle aged, those between 35 and 54 (10% each) Canadians are more likely than those 55 or older (6%) to be planning this purchase.

Four percent of Canadians are expressed an intention to purchase a house or condominium before the end of the year.

• Younger (6%) and middle aged (5%) Canadians are more likely than older (1%) Canadians.

Most Canadians were not planning on making any big ticket purchases in the next few months. The purchase of a house or condominium (93%) topped the list, with the purchase of a car, truck, van etc. (86%) or a major household appliance such as a stove, fridge or TV (86%) following. Seven in ten Canadians were not planning on a foreign (72%) or domestic (72%) vacation before the end of the year.

To review the complete media release and tables please download the PDF files.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice- President
Public Affairs
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900

John Wright