Shoppers stretch holiday budgets: poll

TORONTO — Canadians are shopping for more than gifts this season, according to a poll by Ebates.ca. Other holiday purchases include holiday entertaining (92% of shoppers), holiday décor (71%), new clothes and accessories for holiday events (69%), and travel (58%). These secondary holiday expenses can add an additional $528 on average to the $602 Canadians are already spending on holiday gifts this season, making for a total average of $1,130. “Canadians may be spending more this year, but they are finding creative ways to stretch their holiday shopping budgets further,” said Belinda Baugniet, VP of marketing and resident shopping expert at Ebates.ca. “If there’s one pattern we’ve observed through our annual surveys, it’s that Canadians are smart shoppers who engage in loyalty programs that offer points and cash back, as well as social media and apps that lead them to the best deals.” Canadians have also adopted Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the kickoff to their holiday shopping, taking advantage of late-November deals even in the absence of a long weekend.