Ebates.ca gift giving poll reveals nearly half of Canadians say a charity donation is the best gift for Prince Harry's wedding

TORONTO, March 19, 2018 /CNW/ - Canadians love a royal wedding, and while most won't be attending personally, nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) will be following the news on the upcoming nuptials between Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle. But if they did happen to make the guest list for a famous or well-to-do couple, 45 per cent of Canadians feel the best wedding gift is a donation to the couple's favourite charity. This is according to a recent poll by Ebates.ca, which looked at Canadians' gift giving habits across different occasions.

Overall, the majority (76 per cent) of Canadians enjoy giving gifts. And while the number of Canadians who buy at least one gift per month is down slightly from last year (78 per cent vs. 84 per cent) they are spending more, on average, across most categories. Wedding gifts tops the list again at $145, up from $120 last year, followed by birthdays ($93) and anniversaries ($91). Canadians shell out $62 for Mother's Day, but a little less for dads ($57) and the least for housewarming gifts ($45). Baby gifts remained the same at $53.

"Our survey indicates Canadians seem to be feeling a little more flush this year," said Belinda Baugniet, VP of marketing and resident shopping expert at Ebates.ca. "However, convenience and value are still top priorities and online shopping is becoming increasingly important as the preferred way to quickly source the best deals, and creative ideas."

Gift shopping trends
When it comes to how they shop, four-in-ten Canadians (41per cent) say they only buy gifts in-store (versus online) if they left their shopping to the last minute. Nearly a third (32 per cent) find it easier to shop for gifts online, and this number climbs to 39 per cent for those under the age of 45.

Among gift recipients, nearly half (44 per cent) say they would prefer to receive cash. But if giving cash seems uncouth, gift cards still top the list of gifts we are most likely to give (40 per cent) and appreciate receiving (41 per cent) across a range of occasions. In some cases, Canadians are more likely to appreciate receiving gift cards as compared to the perceived appropriateness of giving them. For example, 65 per cent say they would appreciate a gift card/certificate as a wedding gift, while only 52 per cent feel it's an appropriate wedding gift to give. This suggests that there may be some hesitation to give gift cards when in fact odds are the gesture would be met with appreciation.

The majority (89 per cent) appreciate receiving one for birthdays. However, the specific type of gift card you give matters, as Canadians' top preferences vary by occasion. While a multi-purpose card is the top choice most of the time, consider electronics and spa gift cards for birthdays; department store cards for housewarmings and weddings; travel gift cards for anniversaries, and restaurant, or spa cards for Mother's and Father's Day. Toy or clothing store cards are the top choices for baby showers.

While gift cards are common, many Canadians (48 per cent) say they try to find unique gifts to give. Women, especially, prefer to be surprised by the gifts they receive (61 per cent).

Canadians love cash back
Canadians love earning money to shop, and now they can also earn cash back when purchasing gift cards through the Ebates Gift Card Shop. Just 39 per cent say they are aware of websites that offer cash back rebates for purchasing gift cards online, although 80 per cent say they would be very or somewhat likely to purchase it online as a gift if they could receive a cash back rebate. And 77 per cent would purchase a gift card online for every day items like gas or groceries, if they could receive a cash back rebate.

About the survey The Ebates Canada survey was conducted online in late January 2018 with a nationally representative sample of 1,040 Canadians. A sample of this size is accurate to within +/-3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About Ebates Inc. The Ebates brand supports a strong community of savvy shoppers around the world, and has paid out nearly $1 billion to its global members. Ebates.ca membership is free, and allows consumers to shop online at over 750 of their favourite top-name retailers while earning Cash Back on every purchase they make, paid out quarterly in the form of a #BigFatCheque or via PayPal. Founded in 1998, Ebates began international expansion with the launch of Ebates Canada in 2012 headquartered in Toronto, and was acquired by Rakuten, Inc. in 2014.

SOURCE Ebates.ca