Moneris Reports Q4 Increase of 3 Per Cent in Retail Spending

Data reveals that airline, apparel, and restaurant categories led the growth in the last three months of 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 13, 2011) - Moneris Solutions (Moneris), Canada's largest payment processor, today announced that Canadian spending continued on a positive trend with an increase of three percent in volume of credit card sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to 2009. This represents a slightly slower pace of growth in relation to the third quarter increase of 4.1 per cent.

The leading category was airlines at 17.29 per cent, followed by apparel at 7.01 per cent. In particular, women's wear saw an excellent growth of 18.3 per cent. However, it wasn't all about purchases as Canadians increased their entertainment spending by 7.7 per cent compared to last year. Consistently in 2010, fast food chains realized significant increases, in terms of the volume of sales, ending the year with an increase of 20.7 per cent compared to 2009.

Declining categories included department stores at -6.4 per cent, CD stores at -13.1 percent and electronics stores at -7.5 per cent. Price competition for products such as televisions may have contributed to some of the decline with average purchase prices decreasing six per cent compared to Q4 2009.

Newfoundland saw the largest growth in the East Coast with an increase of over eight per cent this quarter. Ontario showed slightly slower growth of 1.8 per cent compared to Quebec at 4.5 per cent. In the West, British Columbia and Alberta realized 2.8 per cent and 3.1 per cent growth respectively. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia had the two smallest increases in the country ending the quarter with a minimal growth of one per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively. Overall, Saskatchewan saw the highest increase, bumping up their fourth quarter credit card spending by almost nine per cent.

In terms of holiday spending, Canadians spent the most money on December 22, 2010 and the most number of transactions processed occurred on December 23, 2010. Christmas Eve was the busiest shopping day of the month in terms of the number of transactions processed per second with a record breaking 418 between 2:00 -3:00 pm EST.

Moneris Solutions' analysis of Boxing Week, ending January 8, 2011, a key period for retailers, showed a 2.9 per cent increase in sales overall, helping 2010 end on a positive note.

"2010 was definitely a good year for businesses overall and we are confident this trend will continue in 2011," said Jim Baumgartner, President and CEO, Moneris Solutions. With its real time access to transactional data and Canada's largest share of businesses, Moneris will continue to monitor and report retail spending.

About Moneris Solutions

As one of North America's largest providers of payment processing solutions, Moneris offers credit, debit, and wireless and online payment services for merchants in virtually every industry segment and processes more than three billion transactions annually. Through its Erne division, Moneris offers electronic loyalty and stored-value gift card programs. With more than 350,000 merchant locations, Moneris provides the hardware, software and systems needed to improve business efficiency and manage payments. For more information please visit www.moneris.com.

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Moneris Solutions' Quarterly Report Reveals Canadian Retail Bright Spots With Hardware Stores and Contractors Driving Growth During Winter 2010

Merchants Boldly Bounce Back From a Slow Year and Find New Ways to Bring in Shoppers



TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 28, 2010) - Quarterly spending results released today by Moneris Solutions, Canada's largest debit and credit card processor, reveal that hardware stores, contractors and home furnishing stores were the big winners during the first three months of 2010, particularly leading up to the federal government's deadline for receiving the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Moneris Solutions' quarterly outlook examined national consumer spending for January, February and March 2010 and compared it to the same period last year. 

"The first quarter of 2010 was very positive, with many retailers seeing an increase in consumer spending coinciding with government incentives and favourable weather," said David Ades, Senior Vice President, Moneris Solutions. "Businesses were ready to bounce back from the recession and consumers clearly were ready to spend again. As we head into the second quarter, merchants are continuing to find ways to entice customers into their stores, including tempting advertising, innovative holiday promotions, and processing credit and debit card transactions quickly and efficiently."

Traditionally, January is the slowest spending month for sales as consumers curb their December shopping sprees. But in January 2010, retail spending jumped 6% compared to the previous year, with hardware stores and contractor services proving the most lucrative during the quarter leading up to the Home Renovation Tax Credit's February 1^st deadline. In January 2010 alone, hardware stores saw a 29% increase in transactions while contractors saw their business jump by 20% compared to the same month last year.

Canadians spent 16% more during the February 12-16, 2010 weekend compared to Family Day Weekend 2009. The increase shows that business owners were ready to meet the needs of consumers during the converging holidays of Family Day, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day in February 2010.

Hardware stores and contractors continued to capitalize on consumers' willingness to spend on home improvements throughout the quarter, achieving 12% and 13% spending increases, respectively, in March 2010 compared to March 2009. Interestingly, home furnishing stores increased transactions by 21% in March 2010.

Spending also adjusted to the weather, with hardware stores and contractors remaining busy during milder temperatures and consumers handing bicycle shops their business to ready themselves for spring.

Other highlights of the Moneris Solutions quarterly report include:

• Warmer weather in some parts of Canada had consumers thinking about outdoor activities earlier this year, with bicycles shops processing 36% more transactions in March 2010 than they did during the colder March days last year.

• The Maritimes saw the greatest quarter-over-quarter increase. Prince Edward Island led the way with a 19% increase in spending and a 5% increase in the number of transactions year over year.

Moneris' Q1 2010 spending data compared national retail sales during January 1 – March 31, 2010 with the same period the previous year. The data covers all merchant categories (excluding gas merchants since gas volumes fluctuate according to gas prices) and tallies the dollar value as well as the number of transactions made on Moneris debit and credit card terminals across the country.

About Moneris Solutions

As one of North America's largest providers of payment processing solutions, Moneris offers credit, debit, wireless and online payment services for merchants in virtually every industry segment and processes more than three billion transactions annually. Through its Ernex division, Moneris offers electronic loyalty and stored-value gift card programs. With more than 350,000 merchant locations, Moneris provides the hardware, software and systems needed to improve business efficiency and manage payments. For more information please visitwww.moneris.com.

Moneris Solutions' Quarterly Report Reveals Canadian Retail Bright Spots With Hardware Stores and Contractors Driving Growth During Winter 2010

Merchants Boldly Bounce Back From a Slow Year and Find New Ways to Bring in Shoppers



TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 28, 2010) - Quarterly spending results released today by Moneris Solutions, Canada's largest debit and credit card processor, reveal that hardware stores, contractors and home furnishing stores were the big winners during the first three months of 2010, particularly leading up to the federal government's deadline for receiving the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Moneris Solutions' quarterly outlook examined national consumer spending for January, February and March 2010 and compared it to the same period last year. 

"The first quarter of 2010 was very positive, with many retailers seeing an increase in consumer spending coinciding with government incentives and favourable weather," said David Ades, Senior Vice President, Moneris Solutions. "Businesses were ready to bounce back from the recession and consumers clearly were ready to spend again. As we head into the second quarter, merchants are continuing to find ways to entice customers into their stores, including tempting advertising, innovative holiday promotions, and processing credit and debit card transactions quickly and efficiently."

Traditionally, January is the slowest spending month for sales as consumers curb their December shopping sprees. But in January 2010, retail spending jumped 6% compared to the previous year, with hardware stores and contractor services proving the most lucrative during the quarter leading up to the Home Renovation Tax Credit's February 1^st deadline. In January 2010 alone, hardware stores saw a 29% increase in transactions while contractors saw their business jump by 20% compared to the same month last year.

Canadians spent 16% more during the February 12-16, 2010 weekend compared to Family Day Weekend 2009. The increase shows that business owners were ready to meet the needs of consumers during the converging holidays of Family Day, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day in February 2010.

Hardware stores and contractors continued to capitalize on consumers' willingness to spend on home improvements throughout the quarter, achieving 12% and 13% spending increases, respectively, in March 2010 compared to March 2009. Interestingly, home furnishing stores increased transactions by 21% in March 2010.

Spending also adjusted to the weather, with hardware stores and contractors remaining busy during milder temperatures and consumers handing bicycle shops their business to ready themselves for spring.

Other highlights of the Moneris Solutions quarterly report include:

• Warmer weather in some parts of Canada had consumers thinking about outdoor activities earlier this year, with bicycles shops processing 36% more transactions in March 2010 than they did during the colder March days last year.

• The Maritimes saw the greatest quarter-over-quarter increase. Prince Edward Island led the way with a 19% increase in spending and a 5% increase in the number of transactions year over year.

Moneris' Q1 2010 spending data compared national retail sales during January 1 – March 31, 2010 with the same period the previous year. The data covers all merchant categories (excluding gas merchants since gas volumes fluctuate according to gas prices) and tallies the dollar value as well as the number of transactions made on Moneris debit and credit card terminals across the country.

About Moneris Solutions

As one of North America's largest providers of payment processing solutions, Moneris offers credit, debit, wireless and online payment services for merchants in virtually every industry segment and processes more than three billion transactions annually. Through its Ernex division, Moneris offers electronic loyalty and stored-value gift card programs. With more than 350,000 merchant locations, Moneris provides the hardware, software and systems needed to improve business efficiency and manage payments. For more information please visitwww.moneris.com.

Moneris Awards Verifone $10M EMV Terminal Contract

CANADA'S MONERIS AWARDS VERIFONE $10M EMV TERMINAL CONTRACT

Bank-backed Canadian card payments processor Moneris is gearing up for the country's migration to EMV by awarding eftpos vendor Verifone a $10 million contract for the supply of terminals.

More on this story: http://www.finextra.com/fullstory.asp?id=19695