Canadians Survive Back-to-School Stress with Online Shopping
(Toronto, ON) June 28, 2011 – This summer, Canadian consumers will be looking to the Web for their back-to-school shopping preparations in order to keep stress low and avoid store lines.
This year's back-to-school shopping survey revealed that 29 per cent of Canadian consumers dislike the crowds at brick and mortar stores. To avoid this, they are heading online for cheaper prices (54 per cent), better sales and promotions (48 per cent) and because it is faster and more convenient (38 per cent).
"As parents and students prepare to return to the classroom, the stress of back-to-school shopping can take a toll. Forty five per cent of those surveyed suggest the best way to stay stress free when back-to-school shopping is to start early and 27 per cent said shopping online is the second best way to keep the stress level low,” said Stephanie Wallat, Visa Canada. "We are seeing Canadians take advantage of the convenience that online shopping offers and Visa makes it easier and secure when purchasing those back-to-school must-haves.”
According to a July 2011 survey of online shoppers commissioned by Visa Canada, Canadian shoppers plan to spend an average of $404 online and in-store between now and Labour Day on back- to-school items. Clothing is the back-to-school shopper's most popular purchase, and 48 per cent of respondents are planning on adding to their wardrobe online. Other online items Canadians are looking for include school supplies (41 per cent), computers/software (36 per cent) and footwear (32 per cent).
"Shoppers in the market for back-to-school deals should also visit Visaperks.ca for coupons and special offers at merchants like GAP Kids, adidas and Lenovo,” adds Wallat.
Back-to-School (BTS) online shopping: Canadians in British Columbia cross border shop
Interesting variances also exist in how respondents' perceive online back-to-school shopping in Canada and the US. British Columbia has the highest incidence of US online shopping with an average of 36 per cent, compared to 24 per cent in the Maritimes and 25 per cent in Ontario. Seventy eight per cent of British Columbians and 58 per cent of Quebec respondents cite cheaper prices as the main reason for cross-border shopping. Of all Canadians polled, 49 per cent found there is more variety in the US, while 37 per cent stated the store they were looking to purchase from was not available in their area.
| Avg. Estimated Spend Before Labour Day on BTS items | Avg. Estimated Spend Online Before Labour Day on BTS items | Avg. Proportion of Online Purchases on Canadian Websites | Avg. Proportion of Online Purchases on American Websites | |
| Canada | $404 | $240 | 73% | 27% |
| British Columbia | $362 | $251 | 64% | 36% |
| Prairies | $369 | $190 | 72% | 28% |
| Ontario | $447 | $259 | 75% | 25% |
| Quebec | $367 | $239 | 72% | 28% |
| Maritimes | $366 | $181 | 76% | 24% |
Online layers of security also reduce stress
Visa cardholders who want to shop online can count on several layers to protect them when online shopping:
- Verified by Visa, a password-based security program designed for online shopping, has been adopted by more than 378 million Visa cardholders and 430,000 merchants around the world. Adopting Canadian merchants include Air Canada, WestJet, Via Rail, Best Buy, Future Shop, Dell, Telus, Cineplex, Tim Hortons, Aldo, Suzy Shier, Bluenotes, and La Senza. CVV2 or the "three-digit code”, which is the number printed on the signature panel on the back of a Visa card. It helps to prove to the merchant that the cardholder has the card in his or her possession when ordering online or over the phone.
- Visa E-Promise, which assures Visa cardholders that if they have not successfully resolved a dispute with an online, phone order or mail order merchant, they can contact their Visa card issuer directly to initiate action to resolve the credit card charge in question.
- Visa cardholders are also covered by Visa's Zero Liability policy, which means cardholders are protected against fraud if a lost or stolen Visa card is used to purchase goods in person, online, by mail or by phone.
About Visa
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.
About Pollara
Founded in 1985, Pollara Strategic Insights is one of Canada's premier public opinion and marketing research firms, providing full-service quantitative and qualitative research services and strategic counsel to clients in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Pollara is Canadian-owned, with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and New Brunswick. Pollara provides advice based on deep sector expertise and decades of senior-level experience, facilitated by a leading-edge research toolbox.
For the Visa survey, conducted by Pollara, a total of 1,459 online shoppers were surveyed online between July 18-22, 2011. In order to qualify for this, survey respondents had to be 18yrs+, reside in Canada and have purchased something over the internet in the past 6 months. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with 100 per cent response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Margin of error for subgroups will be larger.
Visa Canada Media Hotline