More than 2,000 moms share their thoughts on the future, the economy and what it means to be a mom today

New survey allows Walmart Canada to better understand its core shopper: moms

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - A quarterly survey* of Canadian moms commissioned by Walmart Canada reveals that above all else, Canadian moms value health and happiness for their children. The survey focuses on the economic condition experienced by Canadian moms and addresses themes such as mom's dreams and aspirations for her kids, her thoughts on the future and what it means to be a mom today.

"Canadian moms are telling us that while they're concerned about the economy, they are also focused on ensuring their children are healthy, happy and are well prepared to find a job they enjoy when the time comes. They are also looking for more ways to spend quality time with their families," said Shelley Broader, president and CEO for Walmart Canada. "As a retailer, we're in a unique position to help Canadian moms. We design our operations around families. Our stores open early and stay open late to let busy moms shop when it's convenient for them."

With more than 9 million moms in Canada, the retailer is committed to understanding what's important to moms and help make their lives easier. Released quarterly, Walmart Canada's MomDEX survey interviews more than 2,000 Canadian moms with children under 18 living with them.

"Walmart is focused, now more than ever, on our core shoppers—moms—and the MomDEX survey is just one more way we're listening to Canadians" said Emma Fox, chief marketing officer for Walmart Canada. "Canadian moms are unique—they have a unique way of managing their households and a unique way of shopping. We want Walmart Canada to be mom's favourite place to shop, and to achieve that we need to understand her like a best friend. We want to know what we can do to make her life easier and to help her and her family save money and live better, whether that means tweaking the merchandise assortment we carry or the way we manage our operations."

Dreams and aspirations

• The primary concerns for more than three-quarters of moms surveyed is for their children to be healthy (77 per cent) and happy (80 per cent)
• 88 per cent of those surveyed dream that their children will have a good job which satisfies them, while half of respondents hope their children will go to university

Being a mom

• When compared to her own childhood, mom  is spending less time teaching the practical life skills of chores and meal prep, and more time playing or reading with her kids
• Despite less time spent teaching meal prep, more than 70 per cent of Canadian moms said their biggest challenge is keeping their kids' diet healthy
• Two-thirds of those surveyed say the cost of having children is challenging
• Worrying about the cost of  university/college, state of the environment and future job prospects for her children keeps mom up at night

The economy and its impact on mom

• The current economy is causing more than half of moms to struggle with balancing the family budget
• One-third are struggling to pay for kids' extracurricular activities
• Moms are willing to sacrifice sugar, popcorn and amusements in order to protect activities that contribute to their child's development
• Surprisingly, one-quarter of moms say they have no challenges

About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of discount stores and supercentres with more than 330 locations nationwide serving more than one million customers each day. Nine out of ten Canadians shop at a Walmart Canada each month. With nearly 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of the country's largest employers and is recognized by Waterstone Human Capital as having one of Canada's top 10 corporate cultures.

In May of this year, Walmart Canada launched the Mom of the Year Award, an initiative designed to commemorate the enormous contribution Canadian moms make as role models and integral members of the community. The award gala for the eight finalists will be held in Toronto on September 30^th, 2012.

Walmart Canada is focused on helping Canadian families in need. The company has donated and raised more than $160 million to Canadian charities and not-for-profit organizations. Additional company information can be found at www.walmartcanada.ca, www.twitter.com/@walmartcanada and www.facebook.com/walmartcanada. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.ca.

* The research for the MomDEX survey was conducted by Research Management Group for Walmart Canada between May 31 and June 7, 2012.   2013 Canadian moms with children under 18 were interviewed. The margin of error for the national survey is +/- 5%.

SOURCE: Walmart Canada

Rosalyn Carneiro, manager, public relations
905-821-2111 x74240
[email protected].