This holiday season, Canadians are looking for a great deal even more than finding the perfect gift. According to the airmilesshops.ca Black Friday Poll, 83 per cent of Canadian holiday shoppers are on the hunt for the best deals – but, they also want their hunt to be enjoyable! Finding what they are looking for (57%) and avoiding crowds and line-ups (53%) can make holiday hunting more enjoyable.
With almost half (48%) of the Canadians who are aware of Black Friday agreeing that it is a great opportunity to get deals on holiday shopping, it is surprising that only a fraction (14%) plan to shop on Black Friday this year and even fewer (10%) plan to shop on Cyber Monday. Perhaps some shoppers can’t be bothered to cross the border and seek out those holiday sales or wake up at the crack of dawn to brave the lines. What they don’t realize is there are easier ways to take advantage of the deals without ever having to set foot outside their front door.
“Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the ideal time to get started on your holiday shopping. And with so many big American and Canadian brand retailers available online, it’s easier than ever,” says Tarra Stubbins, shopping expert and owner of Take It Easy Personal Concierge Inc. “Doing your shopping online from the comfort of your home – especially through an online mall that allows you to earn like airmilesshops.ca – is a great way to find deals and use your time efficiently so that you can spend the holidays enjoying what matters.”
Shopping savvy: Expert holiday shopping tips to save time, money and hassles
With the nature of this busy season, many Canadians naturally turn to online shopping, either to do their research before hitting the mall, or to supplement in-person shopping trips. Fifty-two per cent of Canadian holiday shoppers shop online because it is convenient and 45 per cent shop online because it is quick and efficient – that’s the beauty of a virtual mall open 24 hours a day.
More effective shopping means more time with family, friends and enjoying the season! With the spirit of the season in mind, airmilesshops.ca and Stubbins offer tips to make shopping – online and offline – easier this year.
Start now. Get started early so your spending is spread out, stress is minimized and selection is maximized.
Make a list. Check it twice. It’s an awful feeling to forget someone! There is a selection of apps available to help with shopping list organization, but good old pen and paper works too. Even better, mobile apps can help Canadians take advantage of deals. The AIR MILES Mobile App, for example, provides a list of Sponsors in close proximity to the smartphone user and makes it easy to earn reward miles on spending. Bonus offers are also featured on the App.
Do your research. Before you hit the stores, go online to price-compare and get ideas. Visiting an online shopping mall like airmilesshops.ca is an easy way to get started.
Look for sales and deals. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are synonymous with shopping because of the great savings to be found both in-store and online. While many stores will offer competitive pricing, airmilesshops.ca also enables AIR MILES Collectors to earn reward miles at stores where they wouldn’t normally be able to earn, like Amazon.ca, Old Navy, Macy’s and even The Apple Store Canada (to name just a few).
Reward yourself. Give and receive! Shop smart and earn valuable reward miles on spending. Consumers who consolidate earning in one or two loyalty programs where they already shop will get the most ‘bang for their buck’.
Shop in off-peak hours. For those shoppers who don’t like crowds, avoid weekend shopping excursions and look for stores open 24 hours. Online shopping is another great alternative or supplement to hitting the mall.
Holiday Shopping Stats: What are Canadians in store for?
One for you, one for me. Fifty-seven per cent of holiday shoppers always pick something up for themselves when on the hunt for gifts.
Women know what they want and enjoy finding it. Seventy-one per cent of women feel they have an organized approach to holiday shopping (versus 53% of men) and 64 per cent find that holiday shopping is made enjoyable when they can find what they’re looking for (versus 49% of men).
Rewards make shopping enjoyable. Younger Canadian adults are more than twice as likely to find shopping more enjoyable when they earn rewards for their spending than older Canadians (28% of 18-34 year-olds versus 11% of 65+). Women are more likely to enjoy shopping when they can earn rewards (26% versus 17% of men) and are also more likely than men to cite this as a reason for online shopping (19% versus 13%).
What’s the deal? Men and women take different views. While, overall, women find holiday shopping more enjoyable when they are getting the best deals (58% versus 42% of men), interestingly, men shop online because they feel they can get more or better deals than in-store (29% versus 23% of women).
