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Post-Black-Friday research: Consumers more focused on their budget, getting good deals

December 10, 2013

After a successful extended Black Friday and another week in the stores, a healthy proportion of holiday shoppers are well on their way to being finished with their gift buying. However, while 30 percent of shoppers are reporting that they have either finished or are 90 percent through their holiday shopping, the opportunity for retailers to make merry before the end of the season is still there as another 37 percent see themselves as having completed only half or less of their gift buying. That's according to ongoing research conducted by America's Research Group and Inmar.

Shoppers are looking in lots of places for gifts and deals — including the grocery store. Better than 50 percent of shoppers are planning to give food as a gift this year with 49 percent having used a coupon in the grocery store in the last 30 days to help stretch holiday budgets. While 54 percent of shoppers are visiting four or more stores looking for saving opportunities, those with smartphones are leveraging them in the same effort — 38 percent of shoppers with smartphones having reported using them to look for or buy holiday gifts.

As for overall spending, 42 percent of shoppers say their 2013 holiday gift budget will match last year's and 71 percent say they're committed to staying on plan. The fact that 87 percent of shoppers say deals are as good or better than last year may help with managing budgets. It appears, also, that shoppers are favoring relatively smaller gifts with 85 percent spending $50 or less for most of their gifts.

"This year looks to be a more planned and perhaps more personalized Christmas with the majority of shoppers intent on staying within budgets — that, for many, are smaller than last year," said John Ross, president, Inmar Analytics President and EVP, Inmar. "Less expensive gifts, including food, are on lots of gift lists with shoppers in the grocery channel actively using coupons to help with their holiday spending."

Some shoppers (12 percent) are looking to wrap up their efforts by the end of this week but 56 percent are giving themselves until December 20 to finish and 31 percent are planning to keep shopping right up until Christmas Eve. Many of those waiting to finish (82 percent) are doing so in hopes of finding even better deals. Their expectations of savings are steep with 77 percent looking for discounts of at least 60 percent.

"Those who are waiting for the last minute deals are holding out for seriously big discounts," said Britt Beemer, Chairman and CEO of America's Research Group. "Fifty percent off just won't cut it!"

The ARG/Inmar research consisted of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted Dec. 6–Dec. 8, 2013 at ARG headquarters in Charleston, SC. The error factor is plus or minus 3.8 percent. The next ARG/Inmar shopping survey will be conducted Dec. 13–Dec 15. The surveys will continue every week through the shopping season.

Read more about consumer behavior.