Fifty-four percent of shoppers will spend $500 or more on gifts this winter holiday season, according to PriceGrabber® survey

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PriceGrabber^® just released additional results of its first winter holiday shopping survey, revealing that 54 percent of consumers plan to spend $500 or more on gifts this season, slightly higher than 2011. Conducted from August 31 to Sept. 12, 2012, the survey includes responses from 2,235 U.S. online shopping consumers.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121015/LA92485-INFO)

Online retailers and discount stores score big with consumers
When respondents were asked to select all of the types of stores where they plan to shop for holiday gifts, 75 percent selected online retailers. Discount stores came in a close second place with 74 percent, and traditional department stores came in third place with 49 percent. Local independent retailers received 41 percent of the vote, 36 percent indicated electronic stores, 24 percent selected clothing stores, and 9 percent indicated they plan to shop at luxury department stores this holiday season.

"The start of the holiday shopping season has been very competitive with retailers vying for shoppers' attention by offering aggressive promotions," said Rojeh Avanesian, vice president of marketing and analytics of PriceGrabber. "We anticipate retailers will continue to offer very strong promotions and incentives in November and December to move products, increase consumer visits, and boost sales."

Clothing and gift cards continue to rank as most popular holiday gifts
Clothing and gift cards continue to remain the top holiday gift choices again this year. When asked what items they plan to purchase as holiday gifts this season (respondents could select as many choices as they liked), consumers overwhelmingly chose clothing (65 percent). This was followed by 49 percent of consumers who said they would purchase gift cards; 41 percent opting for books, CDs, DVDs or video games; and 40 percent choosing toys. Shoes and hobby-related items both received 29 percent of the vote. Twenty-eight percent opted for jewelry; 24 percent said food or candy; 21 percent selected sporting goods; and 17 percent indicated cosmetics, spa packages or beauty-related gifts.

Consumers bet on post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping for the best deals
The day after Thanksgiving (also known as Black Friday) has famously been recognized for years as the official start of the holiday shopping season. Consumers appear to agree that the best deals also start on this date. When asked when they believe the best deals will be available for holiday shopping, 33 percent of consumers said after the Thanksgiving holiday (compared to 29 percent in 2011), 28 percent specifically indicated Black Friday (Nov. 23), 23 percent said the month of December, and 16 percent said Cyber Monday (Nov. 26).

"Most consumers only have a certain amount of money to spend this holiday season, and our survey findings indicate that more than half of respondents expect to find great bargains during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas," added Avanesian.

Shoppers to use credit cards and savings to pay for holiday purchases
When respondents were asked to select all of the different ways in which they plan to pay for their holiday purchases this year, 60 percent indicated credit card and 53 percent said they planned to use their savings. Thirteen percent indicated that they planned to use their bonus check at work; 11 percent selected layaway; and 9 percent said gift cards.

For shrewd holiday shopping on any budget, visit http://www.pricegrabber.com to browse products, compare prices, read merchant reviews, find local deals, online deals, and more. Download the PriceGrabber mobile applications for smart shopping on the go. 

To view all of PriceGrabber's 2012 holiday shopping press releases, visit: 
http://www.pricegrabber.com/about.php?about=press&sub_opt=11

Infographics from PriceGrabber's First Winter Holiday Shopping Survey
INFOGRAPHIC 2: http://i.pgcdn.com/images/infographics/Holiday1_Infographic2.jpg
INFOGRAPHIC 1: http://i.pgcdn.com/images/infographics/Holiday1_InfoGraphic1.jpg

About PriceGrabber.com^® 
PriceGrabber is a leading online shopping site with more than 23 million unique shoppers monthly. At PriceGrabber, savvy shoppers can instantly find and compare millions of unique products and services across 25 categories with more than 11,000 merchants. Compare products side by side to find the right retailers at the best prices within popular categories, such as Digital Cameras, TVs, Electronics, Computers, Clothing, Books, and more. PriceGrabber provides shoppers with the right product from the right merchant at the best price anytime, anywhere. Visit us at http://www.pricegrabber.com.

SOURCE PriceGrabber.com