TORONTO - Canadians will be digging a little deeper into their pockets during this year's back-to-school shopping season, a new survey suggests.
According to the Pollara survey, Canadians intend to shell out an average of $428 per child on items such as school supplies, clothing and technology as their kids head back to class.
That's an increase of 18.2 per cent over last year, when they planned to spend an average of $362 per child.
Back-to-school shopping typically marks the start of the peak selling season as retailers gear up for Christmas.
Regionally, Quebecers plan to shell out the most on back-to-school shopping this year -- an average of $501 per child -- followed by shoppers in the Atlantic Canada and the Prairies, who intent to spend $450, on average.
Ontarians lag at the back of the pack with plans to spend $390 per child, on average, while Albertans are budgeting for an average of $431 and shoppers in B.C. are planning to spend $403.
