Shoppers flock to the Internet
The state of the economy is a key influence on consumer shopping habits. Sixty-one percent of consumers expect to make a concerted effort to cut back this holiday season. Ninety-seven percent of survey respondents expect to do some purchasing online this holiday season. Fifty-five percent intend to purchase more than half of their holiday gifts online this year, a 10 percent increase from last year. Thirty-seven percent say that online shopping appeals to them because it is "easier to compare products and find the lowest price." Twenty-four percent prefer the "convenience of shopping anytime and anywhere."
Techniques to save
Purchasing online is not the only strategy consumers intend to use to cut costs this year. Fifty-three percent revealed that they plan to "stick to a budget in order to control impulse buying." Forty-three percent intend to "shop at discount or outlet malls," 37 percent expect to "use comparison shopping Web sites," and 35 percent anticipate that they will "only purchase items on sale." Sixty-six percent of consumers also plan to pass the savings along to recipients on their list by giving mostly practical gifts this year, like money and gift cards for necessities.
Budget living as a way of life
While 38 percent of consumers are concentrating their money-saving efforts on shopping, they also are planning to scale back in other areas. When it comes to saving money on food, 44 percent of survey respondents plan to eat out less, 17 percent intend to use coupons for groceries/restaurants, and 14 percent expect to make grocery lists to control impulse buying. In order to cut costs on gas and travel, 32 percent of consumers plan to travel less this holiday season, 31 percent intend to run all their errands in one trip, and 21 percent expect to drive less to work or to the store through the use of carpools or public transportation.
