FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2006
Media Contact:
Jennifer Lester
303-394-2366
jlester@philosophycommunication.com
Price, convenience drive holiday shopping decisions
ShopAtHome.com shopper survey reveals surprising trends
DENVER, November 17, 2006 - This year, there's no place like home for the holidays. That's just one of the findings in a recent ShopAtHome.com survey of 2006 holiday spending plans. More than half of the survey respondents indicated they definitely will not travel over the holiday season, and most of those who will travel have budgeted a modest $500. Only 38 percent of those travelers will book their airline tickets online.
Those and other survey findings indicate that consumers are as price-conscious as they were last year, with an eye to the economy and overall shopping convenience. For 70 percent of the 839 respondents, total holiday spending average about $1,000 on gifts, decorations and food, roughly the same as last year.
"This year's holiday shoppers are especially savvy and cost-conscious," said Marc Braunstein, CEO of ShopAtHome.com. "They love the convenience of online shopping, and they know they can stretch their budgets by shopping at sites that offer discounts, cash back, coupons and free shipping." In fact, the survey showed that free shipping was a significantly bigger incentive for a purchasing decision than a hefty price discount.
Online shopping: convenience plus savings
About half of the respondents are looking forward to saving time as well as money by shopping online, committing as much as 50 percent of their budgets to online retailers. Seventy-four percent of online shoppers say they will seek out a cash-back site. Of all factors determining online purchases, cost is the far and away the most important.
Practical purchases
Practical presents will top the list of gift purchases for 2006. Clothing is the number-one purchase choice, followed by electronics, toys, and housewares. Shoppers who crave the excitement of holiday shopping in physical stores will head for value-oriented retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and JC Penney.
Changing preferences
Gift cards are on the decline, with more shoppers this year preferring to give personally selected gifts. Most respondents indicated they planned to give no gift cards this year.
Great deals for shoppers and merchants at ShopAtHome.com
The nation's largest cash back site on the Web, ShopAtHome.com is a one-stop destination for consumers seeking money-saving opportunities, printed catalogs and as much as 30 percent cash back on purchases. The site features cash-back from more than 1,700 merchants, money-saving special offers, more than 700 catalogs, magazines and free e-newsletters, and an Intelligent Shopping Toolbar so members never miss a savings opportunity.
About ShopAtHome.com
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Greenwood Village, CO., ShopAtHome.com is a division of the Belcaro Group, Inc. ShopAtHome.com is the largest discount shopping Web site. Consumers who use the site receive cash back, exclusive money-saving specials and access to comparison shopping at more than 1,700 leading retailers. In addition to its Web site, the company publishes the ShopAtHome Catalog of Catalogs, a magazine with an annual circulation of seven million. This magazine features hundreds of specialty catalogs that consumers can request through the company's one-stop requesting service. More than 10 million consumers have used ShopAtHome.com's easy-to-use services from the comfort of their own homes. For more information visit www.ShopAtHome.com.
About ShopAtHome
With headquarters in Greenwood Village, Colo., ShopAtHome.com, a division of the Belcaro Group, Inc., is the largest discount shopping Web site. Consumers that use the site receive cash back, exclusive money-saving specials and access to comparison shopping at more than 1,500 leading retailers. In addition to its Web site, the company publishes the ShopAtHome Catalog of Catalogs, a magazine with an annual circulation of seven million. This magazine features hundreds of specialty catalogs that consumers can easily request through the company's one-stop requesting service. Founded in 1986, more than 10 million consumers have used ShopAtHome's easy-to-use services without leaving the comfort of their own homes. For more information visit www.shopathome.com.
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