More Canadians shopping online this holiday season
Despite the increase in online shopping spending is expected to decline by 25 per cent. Last year Canadians spent an average of $597 online, compared to $433 for this season. The average Canadian shopping online buys for six people and spends $72 per gift. About 50 per cent of online shopping will take place in November with most of the online purchases being made in the last half of the month.
Convenience, better prices, and better selection were the top three reasons for shopping online. Being unable to see or touch the products were the main reason 33 per cent of respondents didn't want to buy online. Only 10 per cent of people surveyed were worried about security. Visa attributes this to a growing awareness that their customers are fully protected from any financial loss as a result of unauthorized use of their credit cards.
"Based on the survey findings it appears as though online buyers are starting to recognize the protection they have in place when shopping online," said Susan MacKeown, Director of e-Visa, Visa Canada. "The survey shows that more Canadians are enjoying the convenience and ease that online shopping offers."
For shoppers not planning to buy online 20 per cent cited security reasons, 15 per cent wanted to see and touch what they were buying, and 14 per cent simply preferred shopping in person.
The survey also showed that Canadians are buying a wider selection of items this holiday season. Twenty seven percent of people buying online plan to buy books, another 20 percent plan to buy clothes, 16 percent toys, 16 percent electronic equipment, 14 percent music, and eight percent computer-related items.
The telephone survey took place between October 25th and October 31st 1,000 respondents 18 and older were interviewed. The findings are accurate, plus or minus 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20. You can find the VISA website at www.visa.com.
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