TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Staples Canada is prepared to welcome
back-to-school shoppers today as Canadian students return to school
and decide on the final assortment of supplies to start the year on
the right foot.
"We invest heavily in this season, and serve Canadian families,
teachers and students," says Steve
Matyas, president of Staples
Canada. "We are fully stocked and ready to help Canadians
get the most out of their school year."
The driver behind the season's peak shopping days is the
supplies list handed out to students on the first day of school. By
the end of the first day, parents and students will know what's
missing in their backpacks, pencil cases or lockers. As a
result, parents and children are highly motivated to shop or
"re-tool" for the second day of school.
A recent survey for Staples
showed that 49 % of Canadian back-to-school shoppers find the
back-to-school season stressful (up from 44 % in 2013), with 84 %
of them stating that school supply lists contribute to the high
stress levels (up from 80 % in 2013).
The same survey suggests that students may pay close attention
to the fashion and consumer trends that weave their way into the
classroom on the first few days of school, and then tweak their
purchases.
Sixty one percent of shoppers who find the season stressful say
that the pressure to follow trends is one of the leading
contributors to their stress.
"At Staples, we know that
having proper tools and supplies helps students perform at their
very best," says Matyas. "It's one of the few elements of the
entire school experience that parents and students can
control."
Top selling items during the back-to-school season include
backpacks, crayons, pencils, binders, pencil cases, lunch bags,
pencil crayons and tech items such as laptops and notebooks.
For more information and resources visit Staples' Back-to-School Centre at
www.staples.ca/backtoschool, the company's Facebook page or join
the conversation on Twitter using #Staplesgoingback.
Methodology
On July 18th,
2014, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 2,019
randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum
panellists, including 618 back-to-school shoppers. The results have
been statistically weighted according to the most current
education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample
representative of the entire adult population of Canada
About Staples Canada
Staples makes it easy to make more
happen with more products and more ways to shop. Through its
world-class retail, online and delivery capabilities, Staples lets customers shop however and
whenever they want, whether it's in-store, online or on mobile
devices. Staples offers more
products than ever, such as technology, facilities and breakroom
supplies, furniture, safety supplies, medical supplies, Copy and
Print services and, of course, school supplies. Headquartered
outside Boston with Canadian
regional offices in Toronto,
Laval and Vancouver, Staples operates throughout North and
South America, Europe, Asia,
Australia and New Zealand. More information about
Staples (SPLS) is available at
staples.ca.
SOURCE Staples Canada Inc.