LEEDS, England, April 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- For many, the recession was a time to re-evaluate spending habits and change shopping behaviour. For example by shopping down or using voucher code sites such as VoucherSeeker (http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/vouchercodes). These shopping habits have now become permanent post recession shopping behaviours. Consumers not only search the internet to make a purchase, but also use the internet as a tool to make purchasing decisions.

    "For consumers, the internet is a big source of information," states Duke
Tanson, VoucherSeeker Director. "Whether consumers are looking for Vodafone
promotional codes (
http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/64728/vodafonepromotionalcodes),
Currys discount codes (
http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/76737/currys-discount-codes.html
), searching for reviews or comparing prices online, the internet is full of
all the information they need."

Research by Likemind and Vision Critical found 90% of consumers now search for their purchases online, with 8% more people shopping online than last year. The research questioned 2,000 UK consumers on their spending habits and found that 48% of people claimed they had had a better level of service online. Interestingly, those aged 55 and over most strongly believed this.

The age demographic of the over 50s is more web active and is therefore a new market to target online. Research by the Mature Marketing Consultancy, Millennium, found that a quarter of over 50s questioned bought their groceries online, spending GBP150 a month. Furthermore, this age range is also more active on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, which were traditionally used widely by the younger generations.

Another key demographic which have turned to the internet is the male demographic. 12.9 million men are now shopping online compared with just 10.3 women. 839,000 extra men are shopping online since 2006, using discount voucher and discount code sites in order to save money.

Not only is the internet used to save money, but it also provides the consumer with more purchasing information. Consumers are now able to compare prices online, get vouchers and promotional codes for money off and dictate delivery dates. As well as this, consumers now have the power to write about their experiences online for other consumers to see. In fact, according to a survey by Brand Reputation, 84% of consumers now check web reviews online before purchasing a product. The most view reviews were ones for products such as electricals and home furnishings. The Online Shopping Survey, conducted by Lightspeed Research found that 76% of people questioned already search the internet for the best prices online.

Internet shopping now offers consumers a very flexible way to shop. Many retailers offer free delivery and also enable consumers to pick a delivery date and time to ensure that they get their package at a time which is convenient to them. The ease of use of the internet was evident over the Christmas period. Many retailers reported that they could not afford to hire extra staff which resulted in long shop queues and lack of stock. Due to this and the dread of hitting the Christmas high streets, in 2009 7 in 10 people planned to buy Christmas presents online, which was 46% more than the year before, according to research by Deloitte. Not only this, but 75% of retailers stated online sales for 2009 increased as the ease of use for shopping online became evident.

In fact, the UK spends the most online, on average GBP1,103 each online last year, research by the Centre for Retail Research found.

The voucher codes market is set to grow, as 24% of consumers plan to increase their shopping on discount voucher sites this year, the Online Shopping Survey, conducted by Lightspeed Research found. As well as this, the research found that 50% of consumers have still not realised the saving potential of discount code sites such as VoucherSeeker, meaning there are plenty more consumers to learn of the savings using vouchers can make.

Consumers are increasingly using the internet as an affective shopping tool. Whether this is to search for voucher codes, discount vouchers or discount codes from sites such as VoucherSeeker ( http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/vouchercodes) for money off items whilst shopping online, or simply to read reviews before making a purchasing decision, consumers are becoming more empowered in how they choose to shop.

About VoucherSeeker

http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk is a leading UK voucher codes website. It features all the latest vouchers, voucher codes and discount codes from a wide range of shops and top brands. Users can use the site to find the latest discount vouchers and promotional codes to save money on many products and services. VoucherSeeker also provides its users with details of all the latest sales and promotions.

VoucherSeeker(R) and ClickAngel(R) are registered trademarks of ClickAngel Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For further information, please contact Deborah Read at VoucherSeeker: email: deborah.read@clickangel.co.uk, direct line: +44-113-380-0891.

SOURCE VoucherSeeker

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