eBay Canada uncovers sexiest, soon-to-be-engaged and most generous Canadians this Valentine's Day

Luxury gifts prevail over provocative presents for Canucks

TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2013 /CNW/ - Forget the flowers, bring on the bling!  eBay Canada, the country's leader in ecommerce, analyzed thousands of Canadians' pre-Valentine's Day purchases to reveal the strongest gifting trends for the romance-filled holiday. ¹  While Canadians may be experiencing a cold front in the bedroom with lingerie purchases down (59 per cent) compared to last year, their love affair with diamonds remains intense with a year-over-year increase (21 per cent) in engagement rings and loose diamonds ².  In fact, an engagement ring or loose diamond was bought every 2.3 minutes on eBay in Canada in the lead up to Valentine's Day.

"Canadians continue to turn to eBay - whether online or via their mobile devices - for all of their gifting needs, even the most special ones," said Andrea Stairs, country manager of eBay Canada. "Whether you're spicing up your love life, getting ready to propose to that special someone or finding a thoughtful gift, eBay's worldwide marketplace has something for everyone."

French is the language of lust this Valentine's Day
Canadians may be finding the temperature a bit chilly in the bedroom this year compared to last, with a decline in lingerie purchased from coast to coast. However, Quebecers know how to keep the heat purchasing more than twice the amount of panties than any other province in Canada, while Ontarians are supporting bra sellers everywhere, topping the list with the most bought compared to any other province (36 per cent more). ³ As one of the country's smallest provinces, Newfoundland may not buy the most but they certainly splurge on their sexy underthings, spending 19 per cent more per item compared to the national average.⁴

The Prairies say yes, and Newfoundlanders can't commit!
Caterers, florists and wedding planners in Saskatchewan had better brace themselves, as consumers in this province had the largest increase in the number of engagement rings and loose diamonds purchased this Valentine's Day season, buying 55 per cent more than in the prior year. And, not only did prospective proposers buy more "engagement bling" in Saskatchewan, they also spent more: 66 per cent more per item than the national average. But when it comes to Newfoundlanders, it looks like they've got cold feet with a 40 per cent year-over-year decline in their engagement ring and loose diamond spend.

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¹ Statistics based on purchases made on eBay by Canadians in relevant categories between October 15^th, 2012 and January 15^th, 2013 and comparisons made against the same timeframe in the prior years. Provincial comparisons exclude territories.
² All diamond-related data based on Canadian purchases in the Engagement & Wedding Jewellery, and Loose Diamonds & Gemstones subcategories between October 15, 2012 and January 15, 2013
³ Based on types of lingerie as identified by sellers; excludes 'other'
⁴ National averages exclude the Territories

It's not just a fling - Canadians love their jewels!
Looks like Canadians everywhere are surprising their loved ones with gifts of jewellery and watches this Valentine's Day as every single province bought more items from this category compared to last year. In fact, in the lead up to Valentine's Day, Canadians bought a piece of jewellery or a watch every 6.2 seconds on eBay.  Spending increased the most in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with a yearly increase of 46 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively. Fellow East Coasters in Newfoundland are keeping their wallets tight and their cash close as their spending increased by only four per cent.

Cupid's arrow can strike anytime, anywhere, even on-the-go⁵

Canadians aren't only buying their diamonds behind a computer screen this Valentine's Day.  Some of the most expensive diamond-related gifts purchased via the eBay Mobile app include:

• Men's 18K Gold Rolex Day Date President Diamond Watch, $65,000
• Audemars Piguet Lady Royal Oak Offshore "Ice Cream" Rose Gold Diamond Watch, $39,00
• Men'sRolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea XL Diamond Watch, $28,500
• Two 7 Carat Cushion Cut Loose Diamonds, $28,000

Romance by the region

• More Quebecers will be getting down on one knee - and hope for a "oui oui" - this Valentine's Day, as 49 per cent more engagement rings and loose diamonds were purchased this year compared to last
• New Brunswick is keeping it PG with an 81 per cent decrease in the number of lingerie items bought this year compared to last.  British Columbians and Manitobans  have also decided to cool things off with a 70 per cent decrease year over year
• Ontario will shine a little brighter this Valentine's Day. While the number of jewellery items and watches bought in Canada's most populous province increased by 35 per cent over last year, Ontarians also spent 26 per cent more per item than the national average on these glamourous gifts
• Nova Scotians will spice up the Maritimes this Valentine's Day as they purchased more than double the number of lingerie pieces versus fellow East Coasters in Newfoundland, P.E.I. or New Brunswick

About eBay
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. connects millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily, and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. In Canada, eBay was visited by more than 8.2 million Canadians in December 2012 (comScore Media Metrix).

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⁵ Data based on eBay mobile purchases by Canadians from January 1, 2012 to December 10, 2012

SOURCE: eBay Canada

For further information:

Rosie Shipton
Edelman
416 849-1505
[email protected]

Andrea Lopez
Edelman
416 849-3171
[email protected]