Smart Shopping Techniques That Can Help Consumers Optimise Christmas Purchases and Prepare for the January VAT Increase

LONDON, Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Christmas shopping season offers consumers some of the best deals and discounts of the year. PriceGrabber.co.uk®, a part of Experian, announces its list of smart shopping techniques that can help shoppers leverage Christmas purchases to ease the Value Added Tax increase.

"With the VAT increase right around the corner, shoppers need to be very focused on maximising their Christmas budgets this festive season and taking advantage of all the Christmas sales and discounts offered by retailers," said Russ Carroll, business director of PriceGrabber.co.uk. "With thoughtful planning of the big-ticket purchases needed in the new year, consumers will be able to make the most of their Christmas budgets to help them shift into new spending habits once VAT increases in January."

• Make a list and budget for any big-ticket purchases needed in the next six months -- After reviewing the list and budget, make a monthly plan of purchases, focusing on the most expensive purchases in the festive season, prior to the VAT increase.
• Comparison-shop for everything on the list -- Comparison-shopping sites, such as PriceGrabber.co.uk, save consumers an average of 20 percent to 30 percent on popular Christmas gifts and big-ticket items like laptops, GPS devices and UGG® boots.
• Check prices online from a mobile phone -- If shopping during a brick-and-mortar retailer's pre- or post-Christmas sale, use a comparison-shopping app, like PriceGrabber's iPhone® app, to evaluate products and to ensure the sale price really is the best deal available.
• Set a price alert -- PriceGrabber® allows consumers to set a price alert that sends them an email notification when the item drops to their desired price. These alerts are helpful for big-ticket items like digital cameras and consumer electronics.
• Read product reviews before making a purchase -- Before purchasing any product, take the time to read product reviews. This will help ensure that the deal of a lifetime doesn't turn into a nightmare.
• Check for coupons online -- PriceGrabber's coupon category helps you find increased discounts by allowing you to search through all the coupons it has available.
• Follow your favourite shopping sites on Twitter -- Many shopping Websites, like @PriceGrabberUK, will be tweeting out some of the best deals of the festive season to followers. Not only will shoppers know about the best deals on the Internet, but they also will have the chance to win some of the hottest gifts of the season.

About PriceGrabber.co.uk

PriceGrabber.co.uk, a part of Experian, is a leading online shopping site where savvy shoppers can instantly find and compare millions of unique products and services across 20 categories with thousands of merchants. Compare products side by side to find the right retailers at the best prices within popular categories, such as Digital Cameras, Electronics, Computers, Clothing, Books, TVs and more. PriceGrabber.co.uk provides shoppers with the right product from the right merchant at the best price anytime, anywhere. Visit us at http://www.pricegrabber.co.uk.

About Experian

Experian® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 90 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2010, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE PriceGrabber.co.uk