The ability to take care of holiday shopping online has literally transformed the way people shop. While Canada may have been slow to embrace shopping via the Internet initially, it is now an ingrained part of the way we do business. It doesn’t hurt that in addition to the convenience of holiday shopping on the World Wide Web there are certain other perks that make it well worth your while, like discount codes, online coupons, and the opportunity to earn cash back, in the form of rebates, when shopping online.

How does Rakuten Help Holiday Shoppers?

Rakuten serves as the perfect starting point for all your online shopping for the holidays and beyond. Having developed relationships with more than 650 businesses that operate throughout Canada, there are few products you can’t gain access too, most at discounted prices, when beginning your shopping trip here at the Rakuten.ca site.

These are just a few of the benefits you can experience when you choose Rakuten to begin your holiday shopping online:

• Access to cash back rewards for all purchases originating on the Rakuten website.
• Access to more stores than any single mall in Canada. Rakuten allows users access to more than 650 different stores. Without ever leaving your home. These are stores you know and love, not some sketchy stores you’ve never heard of.
• Access to top brands and some of the best online shopping experiences you are likely to find during the busy holiday season.
• Coupons, deals, and promo codes available on the Rakuten site allow you to maximize your savings.

That’s in addition to the small and simple benefits you gain from shopping online through Rakuten like these:

• No lines.
• No waiting for a sales associate to notice you.
• No crowds.
• No need to find a sitter so you can shop for the little ones. Shop when they’re in bed as Rakuten is open 24/7.
• No fighting over parking spaces.
• No getting spritzed with strange fragrances anytime you pass a cosmetics counter.
• No tired, aching feet after an intense round of holiday shopping.

PLUS you don’t have to resist the temptation of the food court and can opt for a healthy lunch at home instead.

Financial Benefits of Shopping Online for the Holidays

The financial benefits of doing holiday shopping online this year are many. One of the biggest, though, is one you might not even realize is a benefit. After a long day of shopping, it can get easy to make impulse buys because you’re tired.

What are impulse buys?

Many things can qualify as impulse buys. It typically involves making purchases of items that aren’t on your shopping list, for someone you’ve already purchased items for, or items that aren’t exactly in your budget, but that you feel you have to have.

With these types of purchases you may find yourself buying an item that’s on your list at a higher price simply because you don’t want to have to visit a different store or buying something that is prominently displayed for the purpose of catching your eyes – even if you already have a gift for the person in question.

Impulse buys can wreck your holiday budget and are not as common with online purchases because you typically shop online by searching for specific items and because you do not need to do all of your shopping in one giant marathon session. This means you can take breaks when you start to feel a little punchy or when you’re beginning to leave your list behind and make these impulse purchases.

That’s not always something you can do when you’re on a shopping trip. Busy professionals and parents may not get many opportunities to shop in malls and retail stores without the little ones in tow and need to get all their shopping done in one day, whereas when shopping online it’s not a now or never deal – unless you wait until the very last minute when shipping in time for the holidays are out of the question.

By sparing yourself from unintended purchases by shopping online you can save a great deal on your holiday shopping. Combine that with our cash back rebates and those savings take on new life.

How Does Rakuten Work?

The concept behind Rakuten is actually quite simple. It takes a few quick seconds to sign up for an Rakuten account. Once you do, you only need to sign into your Rakuten account for the savings magic to begin. Your account allows you access, not only to the cash back, but also to discount online shopping courtesy of coupon codes, promo codes, and deals you’ll find on our website (www.rakuten.ca) for many of the stores you normally shop.

From the Rakuten home page, follow the links to your favorite stores. You don’t need to go through questionable discount stores online to get great values anymore. Simply begin the process at Rakuten and you’ll enjoy great savings at your favorite retail outlets. The Rakuten link will take you to the store’s actual website where you will shop as normal.

When the time comes to check out, apply any coupons, discounts, and promo codes you may have then check out. Within a few short days, your rebate will appear in your Rakuten account. It will accumulate over time and you’ll receive a nice rebate check each quarter for simply shopping online.

How Does Rakuten Offer Such Great Deals for Online Holiday Shopping?

When it comes to shopping with us, the deals are actually multi-faceted in that it’s the power of combining deals that makes it such a great choice for savvy consumers, such as yourself.

First, Rakuten has down the legwork to develop relationships with hundreds of retailers that are willing to offer discounts to people who shop through the Rakuten site. Rakuten passes the riches on to you in the form of rebates. When those rrakuten are combined with other money saving tools like discounts, promo codes, and coupons, the savings add up faster – making holiday shopping a breeze.

Here’s something you can do that will stretch those savings even further. Consider shopping with your rewards cards that offer great point values at your favorite stores. Redeem those points for cash and combine the points with your rebate to pay down credit cards faster so that you pay little if any interest on the purchases you make this holiday season.

Smart Tips to Avoid Overspending this Holiday Season

At Rakuten, we’re committed to helping you get the most out of your money when it comes to holiday spending. These tips will help you stretch your holiday funds further and may help you stay on budget for the holiday season.

• Make a list of who you need to buy for this year. This list needs to include everyone you need to give a gift to this holiday season.
• Set a budget. You need to set an overall budget for gifts, food, convenience meals, clothing, decorations, etc. for the holiday season as well as a budget for each person on your list.
• Consider drawing names for adults in the family, coworkers, etc. in order to save money.
• Make gifts when possible.
• Follow sales and advertisements. Shopping online allows you the benefit of buying only the items on sale without having to physically travel from store to store to get them – or walk by dozens of other attractive items to pick up the items you want.
• Focus on quality rather than quantity.
• Use sales papers to find a gift within the prescribed budget for everyone on your list then start looking online.

Simple tricks like these will help you keep to your holiday budget. When you set budgets without rrakuten and discount codes in mind, you’ll find that you’re actually spending less.

Of course it’s also important look for important details when shopping online for the holidays like shipping cut off dates, shipping costs (free shipping codes and coupons can be invaluable this time of year), and estimated processing times for the orders. Pay special attention to backordered items and estimated fulfillment to ensure that no gifts are going to arrive after the necessary holiday or event.

Some people like the malls, the crowds, the lights and decorations of the holiday season. Doing the bulk of your holiday shopping at home doesn’t mean you can’t make a trip to the local mall and enjoy the spirit of the season. In fact, it means you can enjoy the excitement and spirit even more as that is your purpose for being there rather than being on a mission to snap up as many bargains as possible in the shortest amount of time without breaking the bank.

Taking care of your holiday shopping online is the gift you give yourself so that you can relax and enjoy the holiday season – appreciating the hustle and bustle of others without feeling the stress of the season yourself. At Rakuten, we like to think we’re giving you back the beauty of the holidays by making your holiday shopping experience even more rewarding.