Canadians opt for online convenience
A new survey from FedEx Express has revealed that 77% of Canadians believe it is more convenient to shop for gifts online than in stores – so much so that Canadians plan to do almost half of their holiday shopping online this year. Findings from the fourth annual FedEx Express Canada Online Shopping Intentions Survey also showed that more than two-thirds (69%) of Canadians believe buying online is the fastest and most efficient way to shop for gifts.
“With all the shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining and travel that’s involved with the holidays, it can be an incredibly stressful time for many of us,” said Lisa Lisson, president of FedEx Express Canada. “To minimize this stress and enjoy the holiday season, more Canadians than ever before will be looking to purchase their presents online this year.”
Canadians believe online shopping has many advantages, with 62% of survey respondents agreeing that it is easier to compare prices when shopping online and almost half (41%) feeling there are better deals available online. Just over half of Canadians (51%) also enjoy the greater selection, believing they can buy products online that are not available elsewhere.
FedEx speculated that the surge in online holiday shopping could make for a positive impact on Canadian retailers this year. With a high US dollar, almost three quarters of the consumers surveyed (71%) said they are unlikely to purchase goods online from US retailers this holiday season. Indeed, exactly half of survey respondents said that Canadian online retail websites have just as good a selection as their US counterparts, and 41% believe prices are as good as those offered on US sites.
“While the high exchange rate may discourage Canadians from sending their shopping dollars south this year, consumers should embrace this as an opportunity to explore all the excellent options Canadian e-tailers have to offer this holiday season,” said Lisson. “Our mission at FedEx is to connect all Canadians, whether they are shopping online with Canadian e-tailers or internationally, and make their holiday season easier and worry-free.”
