Canadians gear up for in-store and online deals this Black Friday and Cyber Monday as holiday shopping season kicks-off November 28

Significant savings found in-store and online at The Source; gaming, gadgets, toys and laptops top the tech must-have list

BARRIE, ON, Nov. 14, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Black Friday and Cyber Monday mark the kick-off to the holiday shopping season for more than half of all Canadians polled in a new survey released today. But some shoppers may be missing out: while 85% of those polled know about Black Friday, only 62% are familiar with Cyber Monday.

"It surprised us to learn that more than a third of the Canadians surveyed don't know about Cyber Monday online shopping yet," said Ron Craig, Vice President of Marketing at The Source, a leading Canadian consumer electronics and wireless retailer which commissioned the survey. "Without question, there are amazing in-store deals on Black Friday but Cyber Monday brings deep discounts online – with no lineups, crowds or busy parking lots to worry about."

Black Friday falls on November 28^th this year, and Cyber Monday follows on December 1^st. Both dates mark when retailers offer deals and special sales, and are considered by 57 % of Canadians surveyed to be the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

But the two dates don't have the same meaning for Canadians polled, even among those who are familiar with both. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are both associated with deals (91% and 79% respectively) and selection (55% and 53% respectively), Black Friday is described as an adventure for almost half of those polled (49%), while Cyber Monday represents shopping convenience (64%).

"These results tell us that Canadians enjoy the fun and excitement of hunting for deals in-store, but there is an important place for e-commerce as well among those who welcome the convenience of shopping online," added Mr. Craig. "What's important for Canadians starting their holiday shopping to remember is that they can find great deals online in addition to what is found in retail stores."

What Canadians are shopping for

The survey found that two out of three Canadians polled are considering tech-related gift-giving and many are looking to start shopping for these items this Black Friday or Cyber Monday. The top three categories among Canadians considering tech gifts this holiday season include:

• Video games and/or gaming consoles (32%),
• Electronic gadgets and toys (30%),
• Laptop or tablet (28%).

To check out the deals on technology at The Source for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday shopping season, visit www.thesource.ca.

About the survey
Hill+Knowlton Strategies' research practice, H+K Perspectives, partnered with Public Opinions Inc. to conduct a study of 1,496 Canadians from October 23 to 28, 2014. An associated margin of error for a sample of this size would be +/-2.53 19 times out of 20.

About The Source
Building on more than 40 years of excellence as an electronics retailer, The Source is one of Canada's largest retailers with over 650 locations nationwide. Over 70 per cent of Canadians live within five kilometers of stores operated or licensed by The Source.  Retail locations and thesource.ca offer a wide range of brand name consumer electronics including communications, home entertainment, home office and sound products.  For more information, visit www.thesource.ca.

SOURCE: The Source