One in Three (34%) Canadian Online Shoppers Likely to Take Advantage of Online Holiday Shopping
Deals South of the Border

Toronto, ON - The American holiday shopping season kicks off at the end of next week with Black Friday, when traditionally American retailers typically offer deep discounts to shoppers, followed by Cyber Monday which is one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. Among the 54% of online Canadians who have made an online purchase at a Canadian or American retailer in the past twelve months, one in three (34%) say that they're `likely' (7% very/27% somewhat) to shop online at American retailers on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. This represents an increase of six percentage points over last year.

Three in ten (30%) online shoppers intend to spend more online this year than they did last year, while just two in ten (22%) plan to spend less. Nearly half (48%) expect the amount of money they'll spend on Black Friday or Cyber Monday will be roughly the same as last year. On average, those intending to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday anticipate spending $262, up $20 from last year's reported average. More specifically, men anticipate spending more ($272) on average than women ($253). Regionally, online shoppers in Atlantic Canada ($315) anticipate spending the most on their Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, followed by those living in Ontario ($274), British Columbia ($257), Quebec ($245), Alberta ($209) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba ($199).

The most popular type of goods online shoppers will be hunting for include clothing and accessories (58%), followed closely by books (51%). Others will be shopping for music or movies (40%), computers, tablets, software or computer-related electronics (29%), health and beauty products (26%), footwear (26%), other electronics (25%), toys (24%), household products such as appliances and tools (20%), phones and telecommunication products (12%), or some other products (17%).

Thinking about what would encourage online shoppers to increase the amount of money they spend at American websites, eight in ten (82%) say they'd be more likely (57% much/24% somewhat) if they had the `ability to ship anything from the US to Canada hassle-free'. British Columbians (89%) and Albertans (89%) are most likely to be encouraged by this guarantee, followed by those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (88%), Atlantic Canada (88%), Ontario (79%) and Quebec (74%). Moreover, eight in ten (79%) say they'd be more likely (51% much/28% somewhat) to shop online at American retailers if they were to `know the full cost including shipping, customs and taxes before check-out'. Atlantic Canadians (85%) and residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (85%) would be the most encouraged by this, followed by online shoppers living in Alberta (82%), British Columbia (81%), Ontario (78%) and Quebec (72%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 26 and 28, 2011, on behalf of Visa. For this survey, a sample of 1175 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online, 54% of whom have made an online purchase from a Canadian or American online retailer in the past twelve months. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to 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 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled, and +/- 4 points for the subsample of online shoppers. 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
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid
416.572.4474
[email protected]

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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.

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