New Survey Finds Coupons will be a Popular Way to Save on Gifts this Holiday Season

(ARA) – Consumers will spend less money on gifts this holiday season, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by RetailMeNot.com, and they plan to use coupons to help them.

The survey, which studied the shopping habits of more than 2,000 Americans, found that, as a result of the economy, nearly half of consumers plan to spend less money on gifts this holiday season compared to last year and that one in five will spend significantly less.

Ninety percent of Americans believe that coupons are a great way to save money and nearly two in five will use coupons to save on gifts this year. Now, with the emergence of online coupons from Web sites like RetailMeNot.com, shoppers can save a lot of money with only a few clicks. Unlike traditional coupons that are clipped out of the Sunday paper, online coupons are codes that are typed in when making an online purchase and are often good for a percentage off or free shipping.

There is no cost to use coupons from coupon Web sites, and the savings can be significant. According to RetailMeNot.com Co-Founder Guy King, a poll of visitors to the site found that the average shopper saved $30 when they stopped to pick up a coupon at RetailMeNot.com before making a purchase.

RetailMeNot.com, which has more than 100,000 coupons for more than 20,000 stores, is a favorite among shoppers because it is a coupon-sharing Web site, which means shoppers post coupons themselves and then rank and comment on them to help other shoppers get the best price.

According to Csilla Dunn, a Lewisville, N.C. mother of two, “I tell my friends to never click ‘purchase’ when shopping online before checking a coupon-sharing Web site like RetailMeNot.com for a discount. By using coupon Web sites, I am able to find deals in seconds. Sites like this help me continue to buy the things my family needs at prices we can afford.”

And shoppers don’t even need to go to a coupon Web site to find online coupons -- RetailMeNot.com lets users install a toolbar on their internet browser which alerts them when coupons are available for the sites they are already visiting.

King is happy that RetailMeNot.com will play a role in helping consumers put gifts under the tree this year. “Our mission is to help consumers to save the most money possible when shopping online. And the more people who get involved with the site by contributing coupons and tips, the better the services we can provide,” he said.

Retailers also benefit from offering coupons, according to the survey. Three out of four consumers said they are more likely to return to a store that offers coupons and 72 percent said they would be willing to try a new store if they could use a coupon.

To see the full results of the survey, visit: www.retailmenot.com/harrispoll/fall2008.

Courtesy of ARAcontent