CANADIANS RETURN TO MALLS
By Adnews Staff
Consumers are heading back to the malls, according to a survey done by Decima Research of Toronto. Forty-four per cent of respondents said they are spending more in stores this year than they did last year, while 18% said they have reduced their retail spending. The reasons for spending more were: an increase in income, an increase in job security, a decrease in debt load and increasing confidence in the economy. But Canadians are also more savvy and demanding. One-third of consumers usually have a specific store in mind when shopping for a specific item, but that nine out of 10 times the customer leaves that store empty-handed. One third of those respondents said the price was the reason for not buying, while 56% said it was due to other factors such as poor selection and poor service. Overall, consumers don't get excited about shopping. On a love/hate scale from one to 10, Canadians gave the experience a 5.24. When asked what they liked about shopping, one in four couldn't give a response. The biggest complaints about shopping were: items not being in stock, staff who aren't familiar with the products and can't offer helpful advice, slow check-out lines and inadequately staffed stores. Department stores are still the most frequently visited stores with 47% of respondents saying they regularly shop at department stores and another 35% saying they occasionally shop at them. Electronic shopping has not gained popularity yet, with less than one per cent of those surveyed using the Internet to shop with any frequency. Only 9% are using home shopping channels and TV infomercials. The study was conducted for American Express and the Retail Council of Canada. The study surveyed 800 people across Canada.