While online shopping has changed the game for most people this holiday season, shopping may seem more like detective work for many Americans.
Flipp recently conducted a survey of 2,000 consumers across North America to better understand their shopping experiences and money-saving tactics to find the best deals for the holidays and beyond.
Some of the key insights included:
- Families are particularly conscious of seasonal spending, with 66% of respondents who are parents saying that saving their family money while holiday shopping is now more important than ever.
- On the whole, 64% of respondents admitted to being total stalkers when it comes to hunting for items they’re hoping will go on sale. The average respondent is willing to wait an extra eight days to purchase an item – just in case the price drops.
- Half of the respondents also reported checking in on a specific item at least once a day when price-watching.
Yet even with all of these tactics, 59% of respondents claimed having missed out on their item of choice by waiting, saying their desired purchase went out of stock instead of on sale during their “wait-and-see” period.
Price watching items online was far from the only money-saving strategy respondents have embraced to help their households stay on budget this holiday season. The survey went on to reveal that the top three shopping hacks respondents used to get a better bang for their buck was shopping sales (63%), using coupons (57%), and subscribing to store newsletters to receive discounts (48%). To help them secure an even better deal, 48% of respondents admitted to allowing technology to do the work for them by using a shopping app to assist with their needs.
This is where Flipp enters the scene. Our app helps families shop smarter, not harder. It takes the stress out of holiday and everyday shopping by showing shoppers the best deals for almost everything, all in one place. The latest Watch List feature even lets users track deals from thousands of retailers for a particular item, all in one place, to simplify the process of comparing deals. There is also the option of getting notified about new deals for your selected items, so you never have to miss out on a sale. Think of Watch List as your very own personal shopper making things a lot easier on you (and your wallet).
Some of the other tactics employed by shoppers, whether before or after the holiday season, were:
- Taking advantage of rebate programs (48%)
- Taking advantage of cash back credit card rewards (47%)
- Price comparison apps or browser extensions (44%)
- Filling up your cart to see if you’re offered a discount incentive to purchase (43%)
- Buying in bulk (42%)
- Thrifting gently-used items (40%)
The average respondent who employed one or more of these strategies, or similar ones, saved a cool $407.48 every year by doing so – and 7% even reported saving over $1,001. Our research also tells us that if you use Flipp regularly, you can save an average of $45/week.
The survey data is proof that the holiday rush is alive and well, even in the era of online shopping, and that every shopper needs to employ as many money saving strategies as possible to stay within their budget, whether it’s before, after, or during the holiday season.
