Saving time and money are top of mind for Canadian shoppers, who also use the Internet to comparison shop, according to a new global shopping behaviour survey.

Canadians expectations are high, as 80 per cent want store staff to assist in finding what they are looking for, and 74 per cent would like to check out as quickly as possible, found the NCR Corporation survey.

"Canadian shoppers clearly are time starved and demand choice, convenience and speed of service. They have so much access to information through the internet at home and the various mobile devices they’re carrying when shopping," says Michael Taylor, general manager, Retail, NCR Canada.

Forty per cent of Canadian shoppers comparison shop online more since the economy went down. With 50 per cent saying they go from store to store to find the best price.

With food prices on the rise, not surprisingly 43 per cent of Canadians buy less fresh food, so it won't spoil. Interestingly, 41 per cent now make food from scratch and not ready-made. Many customers are also buying store or no name brand products instead of name brand.

Globally, self-serve checkouts are increasing in popularity, as are retailers with various modes of payment - such as online, mobile, self-service - with 63 per cent of Canadians preferring to shop there.

"Economic uncertainty creates both risk and uncertainty. Investments that directly impact the customer experience need to become a priority for retailers," said Luc Villeneuve, president, NCR Canada.

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