CANADIANS TO SPEND BIG ON DIGITAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS - SURVEY

Big Screen HD Sets, Digital Cameras and Laptops are Top Items of Desire

CNW

Canadians' love affair for all things digital is in full bloom - over 80% identified a digital lifestyle product as an item on their wish list leading up to the Christmas season according to a national survey by Solutions Research Group.

Following a robust back-to-school period, Canadian consumers are optimistic and confident, suggesting a very strong Christmas period - 80% say they have about the same or more money to spend for leisure or lifestyle purchases up 7-points from 73% saying the same thing last year.

Among the findings of the research:

• The top three wish list items overall were: (No. 1) flat screen high definition TV set - on the wish list of 30%, followed by (No. 2) a new digital camera (21%) and (No. 3) a new laptop (20%).

• Rounding out the top 10: (No. 4) a new cell phone, (No. 5) a new desktop PC, (No. 6) digital video camera, (No. 7) Nintendo Wii, (No. 8) Apple iPhone, (No. 9) a Blu-ray or HD DVD unit and (No. 10) a GPS Navigation unit for the car.

• Apple's iPhone is not available in Canada and yet it was the No. 7 ranked 'wish list' item among teens and young adults and was ranked No. 8 among women.

• While HD sets were at the top of the list for adults, it was ranked No. 5 among teens 12-19. A laptop is the most popular object of desire for teens in the No. 1 position (32%), followed by a new cell phone (29%), a new digital camera (22%) and Nintendo Wii (18%).

• Digital cameras are popular across all age groups - ranked No. 2 or No. 3 for teens, young adults 20-29, 30-49 and 50+ age groups.

• GPS navigation for cars is mainstreaming - it was in the top 10 for both men and women.

Based on the popularity of HD sets and declining prices, SRG expects that one-in-three (36%) of Canadian households will own one by early spring 2008, up from only 24% today. Interestingly, most of those HD sets will not deliver true HD to their owners, as only one-in-ten potential HDTV buyers also intend to get a HD box from their cable or satellite company.

The data in this release comes from the Q3 2007 edition Fast Forward(™), Solutions Research Group's quarterly consumer trend research program. The results cited are based on a survey of 1,000 online Canadians aged 12 and older in August 2007. To maintain an unbiased perspective, Solutions Research Group funds its own syndicated research.

[ Email this article | Return to ByrnesMedia Main Page ]