Holiday shoppers expected to make record number of purchases via mobile
phone
TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2011 /CNW/ - The holiday shopping rush has only begun,
according to eBay Canada. Based on eBay data and the holiday shopping
season so far, eBay predicts that Sunday, November 27th will be
Canada's busiest online shopping day of 2011.
More than a half-million savvy Canadian shoppers are expected to shop on
eBay during "Super Sunday," buying nearly two gifts every second for friends
and family - a 17% rise over last year.
Avoiding crowds, round-the-clock access, and great deals are all factors
behind the increased popularity of online shopping. Research
commissioned by eBay suggests that 40 per cent of Canadian shoppers are
expected to do some or all of their holiday shopping online this year,
an increase of approximately 11 per cent over 2010.
"Canadians are craving convenience when it comes to holiday shopping:
nearly 70 per cent of Canadians shop online because it saves them
time," said Kevin Wolfley, eBay Canada. "It will commonly take the
average shopper less than an hour to make their purchase transactions
online, whether it's from a computer or a mobile phone, leaving plenty
of time to celebrate with friends and family."
This year, a record number of Canadians will be doing their holiday
shopping from a mobile device. In fact, eBay expects that items bought
from smartphones or tablets will increase by 224 per cent from last
year with approximately eight items bought every minute using a mobile
device.
What tops Canadians' wish lists this holiday season?
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With 11 items being purchased from the Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
category every minute, thousands of Canadians can expect something
fabulous to wear this holiday season.
-
The hottest holiday gadgets for 2011 include: smartphones such as the
iPhone 4s and Samsung Galaxy, tablets, including the iPad 2, and gaming
systems like the Xbox 360.
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On Super Sunday, some of the top categories Canadians will be browsing
and buying from on eBay.ca include:
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Women's & Men's Clothing
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Cell Phones & Accessories
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Fashion Jewellery
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Video Game systems, games & accessories
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Inside the Home
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DVD, HD DVD & Blue-ray
Why are two-in-five Canadians doing some or all of their holiday
shopping online? The research reveals the following:
-
The overwhelming majority of Canadians (71 per cent) shop online because
it can be done anytime and some (14 per cent) even admit that they like
shopping online because it can be done at work.
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More than half of Canadians shop online to avoid the crowds and long
lines at the mall.
-
Great deals and selection are also driving Canadians online. Nearly half
of Canadians say this is the reason they shop online.
-
Three-quarters of Canadians admit holiday mall shopping takes a lot of
time and are frustrated when they can't find what they're looking for
in a store.
To start shopping, Canadians should visit www.ebay.ca.
Survey Methodology
The survey was completed online from November 7th, to November 9th, 2011
using Leger Marketing's online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1507
Canadians 18 years of age or older.
A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of
+/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
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 nearly 7.5
million Canadians in October 2011. (comScore Media Metrix).