| A new July 2010 poll put out by Visa Canada found | | | | Quebec residents will spend about $83. |
| that more men are shopping online than women. On | | | | With many students needing more school supplies, |
| average, men intend to spend about $151 on | | | | especially in the higher grades, finding the money to get |
| back-to-school items between now and Labor Day, | | | | these items can be a challenge. Back-to-school sales |
| where women figure they will spend around $78. This | | | | are easy enough to find, but when it comes to higher |
| year's items that are being purchased are clothing, | | | | cost items such as clothes, uniforms and computer |
| health and beauty products as well as books, and | | | | and software products, the fees can really add up. |
| computer products, while an additional 24 per cent of | | | | Factoring in additional expenses such as school lunch |
| online shoppers will be making their travel | | | | programs, bus fees and education costs can set a |
| arrangements. | | | | family back financially if they are not prepared. |
| Stephanie Wallat of Visa Canada said in a release, | | | | The recent recession has not affected everyone to |
| "As parents and students prepare to return to the | | | | the same degree, however, many of those families |
| classroom, many are powering up their PCs, laptops | | | | that have been affected a little more than everyone |
| and smart phones in the search of back-to-school | | | | else and have been finding it difficult to get enough |
| must-haves and deals rather than heading to their local | | | | money together for those back-to-school products, |
| shopping centre to take advantage of the | | | | have been considering small loans as a way to bridge |
| convenience that online shopping offers." | | | | the gap. |
| Online shopping has increased by seven per cent with | | | | Purchasing higher priced items such as new desktop |
| the average Canadian shopper forking out about $621 | | | | computers, laptops or software programs can be a |
| each. The survey also found that 74 per cent of | | | | challenge for anyone. Perhaps you've moved since the |
| Canadian shoppers would be doing so via Canadian | | | | last school year and your teenage student is now in |
| websites. Regionally, however, the survey did note that | | | | need of a car to get around. If you have bad credit |
| Ontarians and the Atlantic provinces would be the | | | | and are considering a small loan to get you through the |
| ones to spend the most online shopping for their | | | | start of school, but traditional banks are not an option, a |
| back-to-school products, averaging $164 each while | | | | bad credit loan may be the answer. |