Luxury gifts prevail over provocative presents for Canucks
TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2013 /CNW/ - Forget the flowers, bring on the bling!
eBay Canada, the country's leader in ecommerce, analyzed thousands of
Canadians' pre-Valentine's Day purchases to reveal the strongest
gifting trends for the romance-filled holiday. 1 While Canadians may be experiencing a cold front in the bedroom with
lingerie purchases down (59 per cent) compared to last year, their love
affair with diamonds remains intense with a year-over-year increase (21
per cent) in engagement rings and loose diamonds 2. In fact, an engagement ring or loose diamond was bought every 2.3
minutes on eBay in Canada in the lead up to Valentine's Day.
"Canadians continue to turn to eBay - whether online or via their mobile
devices - for all of their gifting needs, even the most special ones,"
said Andrea Stairs, country manager of eBay Canada. "Whether you're
spicing up your love life, getting ready to propose to that special
someone or finding a thoughtful gift, eBay's worldwide marketplace has
something for everyone."
French is the language of lust this Valentine's Day
Canadians may be finding the temperature a bit chilly in the bedroom
this year compared to last, with a decline in lingerie purchased from
coast to coast. However, Quebecers know how to keep the heat purchasing
more than twice the amount of panties than any other province in
Canada, while Ontarians are supporting bra sellers everywhere, topping
the list with the most bought compared to any other province (36 per
cent more). 3 As one of the country's smallest provinces, Newfoundland may not buy
the most but they certainly splurge on their sexy underthings, spending
19 per cent more per item compared to the national average.4
The Prairies say yes, and Newfoundlanders can't commit!
Caterers, florists and wedding planners in Saskatchewan had better brace
themselves, as consumers in this province had the largest increase in
the number of engagement rings and loose diamonds purchased this
Valentine's Day season, buying 55 per cent more than in the prior year.
And, not only did prospective proposers buy more "engagement bling" in
Saskatchewan, they also spent more: 66 per cent more per item than the
national average.But when it comes to Newfoundlanders, it looks like they've got cold
feet with a 40 per cent year-over-year decline in their engagement ring
and loose diamond spend.
______________________________
1 Statistics based on purchases made on eBay by Canadians in relevant
categories between October 15th, 2012 and January 15th, 2013 and comparisons made against the same timeframe in the prior
years. Provincial comparisons exclude territories.
2 All diamond-related data based on Canadian purchases in the Engagement
& Wedding Jewellery, and Loose Diamonds & Gemstones subcategories
between October 15, 2012 and January 15, 2013
3 Based on types of lingerie as identified by sellers; excludes 'other'
4 National averages exclude the Territories
It's not just a fling - Canadians love their jewels!
Looks like Canadians everywhere are surprising their loved ones with
gifts of jewellery and watches this Valentine's Day as every single
province bought more items from this category compared to last year. In
fact, in the lead up to Valentine's Day, Canadians bought a piece of
jewellery or a watch every 6.2 seconds on eBay. Spending increased the
most in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with a
yearly increase of 46 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively. Fellow
East Coasters in Newfoundland are keeping their wallets tight and their
cash close as their spending increased by only four per cent.
Cupid's arrow can strike anytime, anywhere, even on-the-go5
Canadians aren't only buying their diamonds behind a computer screen
this Valentine's Day. Some of the most expensive diamond-related gifts
purchased via the eBay Mobile app include:
-
Men's 18K Gold Rolex Day Date President Diamond Watch, $65,000
-
Audemars Piguet Lady Royal Oak Offshore "Ice Cream" Rose Gold Diamond
Watch, $39,00
-
Men'sRolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea XL Diamond Watch, $28,500
-
Two 7 Carat Cushion Cut Loose Diamonds, $28,000
Romance by the region
-
More Quebecers will be getting down on one knee - and hope for a "oui
oui" - this Valentine's Day, as 49 per cent more engagement rings and
loose diamonds were purchased this year compared to last
-
New Brunswick is keeping it PG with an 81 per cent decrease in the
number of lingerie items bought this year compared to last. British
Columbians and Manitobans have also decided to cool things off with a
70 per cent decrease year over year
-
Ontario will shine a little brighter this Valentine's Day. While the
number of jewellery items and watches bought in Canada's most populous
province increased by 35 per cent over last year, Ontarians also spent
26 per cent more per item than the national average on these glamourous
gifts
-
Nova Scotians will spice up the Maritimes this Valentine's Day as they
purchased more than double the number of lingerie pieces versus fellow
East Coasters in Newfoundland, P.E.I. or New Brunswick
About eBay
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. connects millions of
buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, the world's
largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and
businesses to securely, easily, and quickly send and receive online
payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such
as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay
Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000
cities around the world. In Canada, eBay was visited by more than 8.2
million Canadians in December 2012 (comScore Media Metrix).
_________________________
5 Data based on eBay mobile purchases by Canadians from January 1, 2012
to December 10, 2012
SOURCE: eBay Canada