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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 12, 2011) - Place your hands over your children's ears if you read this out loud……Santa is, indeed, a woman. According to BMO's 2011 Holiday Spending Outlook, 80 per cent of households polled said the female head of family will do the majority of holiday shopping, and this year, more and more will do it online.

BMO's annual survey revealed a substantial increase in the number of women using the internet to shop for gifts. The figure jumped to 43 per cent from 34 per cent last year. At 49 per cent men are still somewhat more inclined than women to shop online -- but the gap is narrowing.

"There are a number of factors behind the increase in online shopping among Canadian women," says Su McVey, VP, BMO Bank of Montreal. "The ability to quickly and easily research products and compare prices and even arrange for delivery at the click of a mouse or the touch of a key pad makes it a remarkably convenient approach for busy, budget conscious and multi-tasking women."

Ms. McVey noted that advances in technology such as Wi-Fi, smartphones and e-readers have helped spur this growth. "People of all ages are becoming much more comfortable with the technology and with the security behind online shopping," said Ms. McVey. "They are using online budgeting and tracking tools like BMO's MoneyLogic, and shopping on their train ride to work, from a favourite coffee spot in the middle of the day, or at the end of the evening from the comfort of home," said Ms McVey. "Today, we really do have a virtual International Mega Mall at our fingertips -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Regional patterns

Regionally, married people polled in Atlantic Canada were more likely to say the female head of household does the majority of shopping (87 per cent) compared to in Ontario (79 per cent) and Quebec (72 per cent).

Only three shopping days left until Christmas!

Online shoppers who don't want to pay priority shipping fees should make their online purchases by or before December 15, which is when most retailers, especially those offering free delivery, require your order if you want a guarantee that Santa's packages will arrive by December 24.

Credit cards king for online purchases

According to Statistics Canada, 89 per cent of Canadian online shoppers used their credit card to make purchases during the 2010 holiday season.

There are many benefits to using a credit card when you shop online. With a BMO credit card, for example, shoppers enjoy automatic extended warranty protection and protection against theft or damage to purchased items, and also earn valuable loyalty rewards that can help stretch a holiday budget.

BMO's Holiday Spending Survey was completed online from October 17-20, 2011 using Leger Marketing's online panel, LegerWeb with a sample of 1508 Canadians. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-2.5 per cent 19 times out of 20.