Two Thirds of Holiday Shoppers Stress About Finding the Perfect Gift, Staples Study Shows

Staples makes it easy with more ways than ever to find the perfect gifts at guaranteed low prices this holiday season  

TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2013 /CNW/ - There may be joy in giving, but it tends to come with a whole lot of stress, suggests a recent survey commissioned by Staples Canada. According to the national survey, two out of three shoppers say that finding gifts for everyone on their list is stressful, while almost nine in 10 encounter at least one person who, for at least a few moments, appears practically "ungiftable". What's certain is that almost all Canadians, some 80 percent, engage in some type of gift giving during the busy holiday season.

"We know the holiday season can be a stressful time for many, so we've made it easy for shoppers," said Steve Matyas, president at Staples Canada. "Whatever you're looking for, whether it's a gift basket for your boss or coworker, tech products for your kids or spouse, customized photo books for the 'ungiftable' in your life, or jewelry, we've got it for you either in store or online."

The survey revealed that shoppers value omnichannel solutions to holiday season shopping, with almost half (47 per cent) looking at both online websites and in-store locations to get the best shopping experience and find that perfect gift.

Shopping for the "Ungiftables"

The Staples study reveals that 89 per cent of gift shoppers admit they've had problems buying presents for at least one person on their list during the holiday season. Additional survey findings include:

• On average, winter holiday shoppers have four difficult gift receivers on their lists, this typically includes significant others (59 per cent), children (57 per cent), mothers (56 per cent) and fathers (42 per cent).
• More than half of all time spent on shopping is dedicated to those who are difficult to buy for (60 per cent).
• Of those buying gifts, 53 per cent are challenged by recipients who buy everything themselves. When buying for specific relations, in-laws (73 per cent), mothers (67 per cent), fathers (66 per cent), extended family (66 per cent), and significant others (65 per cent) fall into this category.
• Fifty per cent of gift givers find it difficult to buy gifts because they ran out of ideas. Children (65 per cent) and significant others (62 per cent) take the lead, among those who buy for each relation.
• Roughly two thirds of gift givers are likely to buy gift cards/certificates this holiday season, followed by technology (21 per cent) and tech accessories (25 per cent).
• One in five holiday shoppers will spend $1,000 or more on gifts this season.

The Staples Holiday Experience
This year, to ease the stress of finding the perfect gift, the retailer added tens of thousands of products to help with one-stop shopping. Whether in-store or online, shoppers will be able to find the perfect holiday gift, or Staples will source it for them.

For additional ideas, join @StaplesCanada and @Listen2Lena on November 25 at 8 p.m/est for a kick-off holiday Twitter party to offer smart gift-giving solutions to Staples customers. Join the party to learn more about new products, great ways to save, smart tips from shopping authorities, and for chances to win prizes from Staples.

Staples' Price Match Guarantee will match items sold and shipped by any retailer including online retailers like Amazon.ca. Staples will also offer incredible deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and new daily deals on Staples.ca.

About the Survey
October 31 - November 1, 2013, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 1503 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, including 1190 holiday shoppers. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. The full survey can be found at:
http://blog.staples.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Holiday-PR-Key-Findings-Nov-4.docx

About Staples Canada
Staples, Canada's largest office products company is committed to providing Canadians with a wide choice of office services and products. Serving all types of business - from the small home office to large enterprise - Staples makes it easy for customers to operate their offices efficiently and affordably by offering an extensive selection of office supplies, technology, electronics and office furniture as well as business services, including computer repair and maintenance, and copy and print services. Operating as Bureau en GrosMC in the province of Quebec and Staples Canada in all other provinces, the company employs over 15,000 associates at 330+ stores and at their head office in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Ranked as one of Canada's top ten Canadian companies in Marketing Magazine's Marketing/Leger 2013 Corporate Reputation Survey, Staples/Bureau en Gros is dedicated to offering customers the highest level of service, whether they choose to shop in-store, by catalogue or online. Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros also is invested in a number of corporate giving programs that actively support environmental, educational and entrepreneurial initiatives in Canadian communities from coast to coast. Visit www.staples.ca for more information, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter @StaplesCanada.

Image with caption: "A Staples study-turned infographic identifies holiday shopping expectations, and the troubles associated with gifting for the "Ungiftables" (the hard to buy for). (CNW Group/Staples Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131122_C4080_PHOTO_EN_33751.jpg

SOURCE: Staples Canada Inc.