National Bank of Canada : Shedding light on online shopping habits in Quebec

Men are the Champions When it Comes to Online Shopping

Contrary to popular belief, men lead the way when it comes to shopping … online shopping, that is! This was one of the findings of a Leger survey for National Bank. The survey, conducted on the Web between May 5 and 12, 2016, polled 1,200 Quebeckers aged 18 and older who had made at least one online purchase in the past year. It shed light on online shopping habits in the province, as well as debunking a number of myths about shopping habits, and revealing regional variations.

Highlights of the findings

· One-quarter of respondents (25%) make more than 10 online purchases per year.

· 44% of respondents shop online two to five times a year.

· Better prices are felt to be the main advantage of online shopping (48% of respondents).

· Clothing, footwear, jewellery and accessories are the most popular categories, with one in two respondents (50%) saying they have purchased such products in the past year.

· 36% of respondents had concerns about the product itself (size and quality), what they consider to be a downside of online shopping.

· Most respondents (69%) use credit cards to pay for their online purchases.

'It's clear that online shopping is now well established among Quebeckers, and the credit cards offered by National Bank are better adapted than ever to this reality,' said Pierre Dufour, vice-president, Card and Payment Solutions, at National Bank. 'With our ECHOCashback card in particular, we can meet the needs of online shoppers: cash back on most online purchases and an easy process for redeeming cashback accessible online at all times on both tablets and smartphones, as soon as the amount reaches $25. It really is a product designed for the online shopping experience.'

Debunking the myths

· Myth: Men don't like to shop

Fact: Male respondents are the most active online shoppers, with 29% having made more than 10 online purchases in the past year.

· Myth: Only young people shop online

Fact: Among respondents over age 65, more than half (58%) made between two to five online purchases in the past 12 months.

· Myth: Fear of being swindled is one of the main deterrents

Fact: The fear of being swindled (16% of respondents) was of less concern than worries about the product itself (36%) or shipping and delivery costs (31%).

Similar-but different

While the results show that online shopping habits across Quebec are relatively similar, there are still regional differences.

· Respondents in the Montreal area (76%) feel it is important to know the origin of the products they purchase online.

· The highest use of smartphones for online shopping is in the QuebecCity area (37%).

· In Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec, respondents said they made frequent or occasional online purchases of products made in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada that are not available in stores in their region (66%).

· The highest number of respondents (60%) who said better prices are the primary reason for shopping online was in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord.

· The highest percentage of those who said they bought books, magazines and newspapers online was in Montérégie and the Eastern Townships (37%).

National Bank's ECHO Cashback MasterCardAvailable since April 2016, National Bank's ECHO Cashback MasterCard is particularly aimed at online shoppers. It provides cashback of up to 1.5%: 1% on all purchases, with no annual limit, plus an additional 0.5% on eligible grocery, fuel and online purchases. For a limited time, it is also offering 3% cashback in the above three categories for the first three months. Cardholders also receive 'Zero Liability'protection from MasterCard for the unauthorized use of their card for in-store and online purchases.

About the National Bank survey on online shopping habits
National Bank asked Leger to conduct a survey of 1,200 Quebeckers aged 18 and over who had made at least one online purchase in the past year. The survey was conducted on the Web between May 5 and 12, 2016.

About National Bank of Canada
With $221 billion in assets as at April 30, 2016,National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada's leading integrated financial groups. The Bank has close to 20,000 employees and is widely recognized as a top employer. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities atnbc.ca or via social media such asFacebook,LinkedIn andTwitter.

While the difference between this percentage (37%) and that for Quebec as a whole (32%) is not statistically significant, a trend was nonetheless observed.

Available pending credit approval by National Bank of Canada.

Some conditions and restrictions apply. Visit www.mastercard.ca for more information about MasterCard's commitment.

MasterCardis a registered trademark of MasterCard International Inc. Authorized user: National Bank of Canada.

ECHO is a registered trademark of National Bank of Canada.

Information (The telephone number provided below is for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives.):

Jean-François Lauzon
Advisor - Public Affairs
National Bank of Canada
Tel.: 514-394-6097