From "secret stasher" to self-declared "neurotic", springtime sheds light on organizational habits and quirks of Canadians

TORONTO, April 3, 2012 /CNW/ - A survey by Canadian Tire reveals that while more than half (54%) of Canadians describe their organizational style as "neat" or "neurotic", a significant portion of the population may be keeping their clutter under wraps. One in three (33%) describe themselves a "secret stasher" and 84 per cent admit to having at least one junk drawer in their home. Unfortunately, for most Canadians out of sight doesn't mean out of mind as 69 per cent say that if their home is cluttered their mind feels cluttered too and 58 per cent will avoid having guests over altogether if their home feels disorganized.

The survey also revealed that 73 per cent of Canadians are eager to de-clutter their home when the season changes, with the highest priority areas being bedroom closets, basements and garages. However, a lack of available space (31%), time (16%) and the right storage solutions (10%) are holding Canadians back, suggesting that many need storage and organization support.

"A lack of space or effective storage solutions in Canadian homes continues to be a pain point for our customers," says T.J. Flood, Vice President of Merchandising at Canadian Tire. "Our wide selection of exclusive storage and organization products provide Canadians with affordable and easy-to-assemble solutions. Whether purely functional or designed to integrate as part of any home décor, we offer solutions for any space in the home."

To combat these organizational dilemmas, Canadian Tire offers the following tips:

• Think tall: Use available wall and ceiling space for storage. This is particularly useful in the garage where it's important to keep tools, sporting equipment, lawn and garden accessories, etc. off the ground, making space for the family vehicle(s).
• Don't get boxed-in: Select modular storage systems where possible to create customizable units unique to each space throughout the home.
• Utilize "dead" space: Store items that are used less frequently under the bed, stairs or other untapped areas around the home to maximize your available storage space. Look for storage bins specifically sized for these hard-to-fit areas.
• Style meets function: When purchasing new furniture for the home, look for pieces that offer functional storage like ottomans with lids or closed entertainment units to get the style you're looking for while also creating more places to store your things.
• Don't be a hero: Tackle one space per weekend and start small to build organizational confidence. Taking on too much, too soon, could mean abandoning projects mid-way.

Some additional findings from the survey include:

• 73 per cent of Canadians are more motivated to organize when they buy new storage containers
• 76 per cent of women surveyed say that women are more organized than men, while only 56 per cent of men agree with this statement
• 62 per cent of Canadians scramble to get the house in order before having guests over
• One in five (19%) Canadians admit to colour coding the clothes in their closet
• 37 per cent of Canadians believe they are the most organized person in their household, 26 per cent say their spouse is, and 15 per cent say their kids are the ones with the organizational skills
• One in three (29%) Canadians would rather toss things out than find a place to store them

To discover more tips on home organization and to find the right storage solutions, please visit www.canadiantire.ca or a local Canadian Tire store.

About the Survey
From March 6th, to March 7th, 2012, an online survey was conducted among a sample of 1,004 Canadian adults 18 years plus, who are Angus Reid Forum panel members.  The Angus Reid Forum is owned and operated by Vision Critical. Individuals were sampled according to Census data to be representative of the Canadian national adult population. The full dataset has been statistically weighted according to the most current gender, age, region, education (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. The margin of error is ±3.1%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTC.a) (TSX: CTC) is one of Canada's most-shopped general retailers and the country's largest sporting goods retailer, with more than 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets from coast-to-coast. Our primary retail business categories - Automotive, Living, Fixing, Sports, Playing and Apparel - are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division, which offers such products and services as Canadian Tire Home Services, credit cards, retail deposits, in-store financing, product warranties, and insurance. Nearly 68,000 people are employed across the Canadian Tire enterprise, which was founded in 1922 and remains one of Canada's most recognized and trusted brands.