Staples Canada survey: unwrapping what Canadians really think about holiday shopping

78 per cent of Canadians agree shopping for family or friends can be difficult, with 60 per cent of respondents admit they dread holiday shopping

• 64 per cent of Canadians find holiday shopping stressful, with the biggest challenges facing Canadian shoppers including gift inspiration (39 per cent), being unsure if the person would like the gift (37 per cent) and cost (33 per cent).
  
  
• Nearly half of Canadians (47 per cent) report that their busy schedules make it difficult to shop for their loved ones during the holiday season.
  
  
• Although 78 per cent of Canadians surveyed agree that over-crowded malls make it difficult to holiday shop, 69 per cent note they plan to do the majority of their holiday shopping in-store this year.

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Dec. 16, 2019 /CNW/ - At a time when holiday cheer should be at an all-time high, a majority of Canadians report that the busy holiday shopping season elicits feelings of stress. According to a recent survey commissioned by Staples Canada, 60 per cent of Canadians stated that they find holiday shopping stressful, with over-crowded malls (78 per cent), busy schedules (47 per cent) and gift inspiration (39 per cent) cited as leading reasons why buying gifts is made difficult. 

When it comes to shopping for others, 78 per cent of Canadians report they have trouble finding the right gift for their family or friends, while 64 per cent report that they find holiday shopping stressful. Despite the rise of online shopping in Canada, 69 per cent of Canadians surveyed note they plan to do most of their shopping in-store this year. With these common stressors in mind, Staples Canada is taking the pain out of holiday shopping with expert associates, free parking, extended store hours, hundreds of exclusive new products and more.

"As The Working and Learning Company, it's important for us to understand what's impacting the consumer experience to find that perfect gift," said John DeFranco, Chief Commercial Officer, Staples Canada. "With stand-alone stores that eliminate the need to tackle mall traffic, exclusive new brands, convenient delivery services and personalized gifts from Solutionshop, Staples Canada is an unexpected and stress-free destination for unique and thoughtful gifts."

Canadians buy-in on last-minute shopping
While more than half of Canadians (70 per cent) said they would start their holiday shopping at least a month before, 53 per cent admitted that they often end up making holiday purchases at the last minute. The biggest challenges facing Canadian shoppers include gift inspiration (39 per cent), being unsure if the person would like the gift (37 per cent) or costs (33 per cent).

Boxing Day shopping
Canadians agree that shopping for others is stressful, on one of the biggest shopping days of the season Canadians are likely to be shopping for themselves. Of those planning to shop on Boxing Day, a whopping 88 per cent of respondents will shop with the intent to buy for themselves, while only 29 per cent will shop for items for others.

A tale of two shoppers
Interestingly, holiday shoppers aged 18-34 are the most likely to leave their holiday shopping to the last minute (14 per cent) (one week before Christmas, including Christmas Eve) compared to those 35-54 (10 per cent) and 55+ (9 per cent). Of those surveyed, 55 per cent of millennial-aged respondents (aged 18-34) were the most likely to feel joy from holiday shopping, compared to those 35-54 (49 per cent) or 55+ (43 per cent).

Popular gifting categories
The most popular holiday gift categories this year include entertainment (35 per cent), technology and electronics (33 per cent) and toys (23 per cent). More than half of Canadians (53 per cent) plan to purchase at least one educational-focused gift this year.

The Quebec shopper
More than half (54 per cent) of Quebec respondents report that they find holiday shopping stressful, while a majority (80 per cent) say family is more difficult to shop for than friends. Compared to other major Canadian cities, Montreal respondents are the most likely to admit they dread holiday shopping (66 per cent). However, Quebec respondents are the least likely to admit will do their holiday shopping last minute compared to the rest of Canada (9 per cent) (in the week before Christmas, including Christmas Eve).

To change Canadians' shopping outlook from dreadful to delightful, Staples has launched an immersive online gifting centre at staples.ca/holiday as part of the Gifts That Get Them campaign featuring expertly curated product guides to bring back the ease of gift giving this season. Whether for the Tech Enthusiast, Artsy Crafter or Entrepreneur, Staples Canada has unique and thoughtful gift ideas for everyone on your list this holiday season. To ensure gifts arrive under the tree in time, Staples Canada offers robust delivery capabilities on Staples.ca, including next-day delivery to 85 percent of the Canadian market, as well as two-hour buy online, pick up in-store.

For more holiday shopping inspiration, visit staples.ca or check out Staples Canada's new Working + Learning Blog and Spotlight Magazine at staples.ca/spotlightmagazine.

About Staples Canada
Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. With a focus on community, inspiration and services, the company is committed to being a dynamic, inspiring partner to customers who visit its 305 locations across the country and online at staples.ca. The company offers three co-working facilities in Toronto, Kelowna and Oakville under the banner Staples Studio. Since its transformation to The Working and Learning Company, Staples Canada has been demonstrating a renewed commitment to small businesses and consumers, through expanded services that go beyond printing in Solutionshop, thousands of new products, tech services, special events, and informative content with the Spotlight Speaker Series and newly-launched blog. A privately-owned company, Staples Canada is dedicated to helping its customers work, learn and grow. Visit staples.ca for more information, or get social with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About this survey/study:
From October 30th to November 4th, 2019 an online survey was conducted among 2,129 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, the sample plan would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.12 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About the Angus Reid Forum:
The Angus Reid Forum is Canada's most well-known and trusted online public opinion community consisting of engaged residents across the country who answer surveys on topical issues that matter to all Canadians.

SOURCE Staples Canada ULC

Alessandra Saccal, Staples Canada, 905-737-1147 Ext. 2363, [email protected]; Kathleen Stelmach, Staples Canada, 905-737-1147 Ext. 2714, [email protected]; David Dwyer, Golin, 647-828-0140, [email protected]