Shoppers Expect to Find the Best Holiday Deals in December, PriceGrabber® survey reveals

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading online shopping site and ecommerce platform PriceGrabber®, just released results from its December Winter Holiday Shopping Survey, revealing that 54 percent of shoppers believe the best holiday discounts will be in December and 83 percent will continue to comparison shop for gifts throughout the month. Conducted from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6, 2013, the survey includes responses from 3,299 U.S. online shopping consumers.

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Consumers expect the best discounts in December
With six less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, 87 percent of consumers will conduct most of their holiday shopping in December (versus 78 percent in 2012). When December shoppers were asked why they will complete most of their holiday shopping within the month, 54 percent indicated it's when they will find the best discounts. Holiday gift guides and advertisements will be put to good use this month, as 26 percent said they use them to get gift ideas. About 25 percent indicated they have procrastinated on their holiday shopping and will wait until the last minute to shop.

"Last minute shoppers will get some of the best deals on gifts this December, especially on toys and electronics," said Rojeh Avanesian, senior vice president of Marketing and Sales of PriceGrabber.com. "Holiday shoppers can expect to see extended online and in-store promotions throughout December as retailers try to push their inventory."

Shoppers benefit from taking in-store research to shop online
With the prevalence of online shopping on the rise each holiday season, shoppers who are looking for deals have created a system that incorporates both brick and mortar stores and online retailers. According to the survey, 48 percent plan to "showroom" and inspect merchandise in a physical retail store and later purchase it online for less money. When asked why, 40 percent said they prefer to test the product in person to see if they like it then search online for the lowest price.

Additionally, 25 percent of "showroomers" indicated they like to make side-by-side comparisons of products in-person before deciding to purchase online. Deals continue to be the driving force keeping consumers loyal to online shopping. Forty-two percent of "showroomers" said they are simply trying to save money on holiday gifts this year and are searching for the best price. Busy shoppers savvy to the perks of shopping online like to browse first and then buy the item later when they have time, said 36 percent of those surveyed.

Sarah Paiji, Co-Founder of Snapette, the local fashion shopping app, commented, "This holiday season retailers should view mobile and online platforms as valuable tools to drive holiday shoppers into stores, particularly given the large percentage of shoppers who will be shopping last minute and prefer to view products in person. There is a huge opportunity for retailers to leverage mobile to facilitate reverse "showrooming" by sending information and incentives to shoppers through mobile and web to drive these shoppers into stores." Snapette was recently acquired by PriceGrabber in its aim to help shoppers search and discover offline as well as online.

Free Shipping Day and Super Saturday
One of the main factors that kept customers loyal to retailers this year, free shipping – will continue to entice shoppers into December. According to PriceGrabber survey results, 61 percent of shoppers plan to take advantage of Free Shipping Day on December 18th to order online and have their gifts delivered in time for Christmas. Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, remains popular with last minute shoppers as 51 percent plan to take advantage of one-day sales before the holiday.

For holiday shopping on any budget, visit http://www.pricegrabber.com. Download the PriceGrabber mobile application for smart shopping on the go.

About PriceGrabber®
PriceGrabber® is a leading distributed ecommerce platform and shopping site that connects millions of shoppers each month with thousands of merchants. We reach our consumer audience via desktop and mobile devices through a network of over 400 digital publisher partners as well as through our owned and operated web properties. Together with our distribution partners, we drive over $1 billion in annual sales for our retailer partners. PriceGrabber's unique portfolio of business units, including the world's premier location-based mobile fashion app Snapette, provides brands and retailers with unparalleled marketing and sales opportunities to millions of active, qualified and ready to buy shoppers on a monthly basis. PriceGrabber is a unit of CPL Holdings LLC and headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with operations across North America and in the United Kingdom. Visit us at http://www.pricegrabber.com.

SOURCE PriceGrabber.com