Some of the most savvy Canadian e-shoppers plan on skipping the car trip across the border this "Black Friday" to score U.S. holiday shopping deals from the comfort of their own homes.
Of the online shoppers recently polled by Visa Canada, 23% are likely to take advantage of Black Friday deals over the web. This Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving, is synonymous with massive bargain-hunting crowds south of the border.
Six in 10 Canadians, or 57%, have shopped online in the past year, the Visa survey found.
Nearly half of Canadians (48%) polled said they shopped at a Canadian online store, while 29% said they made purchases over the Internet from an American retailer.
And Canadians are willing to open their e-wallets wide. The survey found that 75% of online shoppers plan to spend the same amount of money or more this holiday season than last year, with the average person spending approximately $225.50.
Canadian men plan to dish out about $50 more than women this holiday season, the study found. And older shoppers plan to spend more than younger ones.
"These survey results tell us that Canadians are definitely interested in online shopping, both in Canada and the U.S. this season," said Stephanie Wallat of Visa Canada.
The survey did find some barriers can prevent Canadians from taking full advantage of U.S. online sales, they include shipping fees, currency differences, and customs clearance.
Nine in 10 Canadians say hassle-free shipping or knowing the full purchase price, including shipping and customs, before the online check-out would make them more likely to shop at American online retailers.
