Following a blowout Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping weekend, many consumers will continue to hit the stores through the final days leading up to Christmas, according to survey data from PriceGrabber, a part of Experian. Results from PriceGrabber’s fourth winter holiday shopping survey reveal that 41 percent of consumers plan to shop between Dec. 21 and Dec. 24 for holiday gifts.

This data comes on the heels of a successful Thanksgiving weekend for retailers, during which PriceGrabber experienced a 15 percent increase in site traffic compared to 2010. Conducted from Nov. 17 to Nov. 30, 2011, the survey includes responses from 13,472 U.S. online shopping consumers.

Many last-minute shoppers hunt for bargains

When those consumers who plan to shop at the last minute were asked to select all of the reasons why, 43 percent said that they believe the best discounts can be found during this time period.

Another 43 percent of consumers indicated that they are busy and unable to finish their shopping earlier, 26 percent admitted to procrastinating, 22 percent believe it is fun to do last-minute shopping, and 10 percent are waiting for a year-end work bonus to begin shopping.

“After observing the increase in activity and sales of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping season this year, we expect to see a significant percentage of consumers seeking to prompt retailers to offer additional savings throughout December,” commented Graham Jones, general manager of PriceGrabber.

“Savvy shoppers saw retailers rolling out discounts as early as the week before Thanksgiving this year, and they are staying on top of last-minute incentives that are certainly on the horizon in the coming weeks.”

Consumers will buy a combination of high- and low-price-point items

When asked what type of gifts they plan to purchase at the last minute, 53 percent said they intend to purchase both big- and small-ticket items, 31 percent will buy only small-ticket items (under $100); 10 percent will purchase all of the holidays gifts on their list, and 6 percent will buy only big-ticket items (over$100).

More men will delay holiday shopping until January

While most consumers plan to complete their holiday shopping before Dec. 25, PriceGrabber’s survey found that 9 percent will wait until January to purchase holiday gifts. Men and women differed in their plans, with 11 percent of men saying they will wait until January to buy gifts and only 8 percent of women planning to do so.

When those consumers who will delay their holiday shopping until January were asked to select all of the reasons why, 68 percent said that they believe sale prices are best in January, 27 percent plan to use gift money received during the holiday period, 24 percent simply prefer shopping in January, and 11 percent plan to wait for a year-end work bonus to make purchases.

Daily deal sites begin to make mark on last-minute shoppers

According to PriceGrabber’s survey, a notable percentage of shoppers are turning to daily deal sites for great last-minute prices, with 27 percent indicating that they plan to shop for last-minute gifts on sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial.

Those consumers who plan to use daily deal sites will do so largely in hopes of finding a bargain. Fifty-eight percent of respondents indicated they are trying to save money on gifts and like the discounts available through daily deal sites; 22 percent enjoy the great holiday deals on local services in their area;

13 percent said they liked being able to share great deals with family and friends, especially during the holiday season; 4 percent prefer to give experiential gifts and believe local deal sites offer the best options; and 3 percent are intrigued by the hype around local deal sites.

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Though the unemployment rate continues to hover at 9 percent, there was an increase in Black Friday sales this year. According to the National Retail Federation, 226 million shoppers visited stores, both virtually and in reality this Black Friday weekend. The National Retail Federation provides an analysis of the retail industry.

According to the website, “the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad.” In the National Retail Federation evaluation, Black Friday weekend included Thursday, Friday, Saturday and expected Sunday spending.

This year’s numbers saw an increase after 2010 saw only 212 million shoppers. The expected budget of shoppers this year was $398.62, an increase from last year’s $365.34, according to the report. Cyber Monday also saw a jump in sales. The Washington Post reported that researchers at IBM Benchmark saw preliminary numbers that showed a 15 percent increase in sales since last year.

The shopping industry is also changing. 7.37 percent of purchases were made on a mobile device, according to Benchmark’s research. This is a 5.12 increase since last year which saw only 2.25 percent of shopping was done on a mobile device. Marketers will now begin to market to its clients and their mobile devices.

The Washington Post reported that Benchmark evaluated its businesses and realized that 80 percent of companies offered some sort of discount, or bargain on Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday. Google Think Insights is a new company that launched mid-November. It is a “one-stop shop for consumer trends, marketing insights and industry research,” according to its website.

The site is primarily geared to businesses who want to increase their marketability among clients and potential business partners. Insights conducts research and analyzes its data. The site then uses these numbers to offer advice to companies in need of tweaking marketing to improve sales.

Buyers will turn to primarily social networking and coupon sites for bargains going into the holiday season, according to Insights research. 74 percent of online purchases will be made on a tablet, while 54 percent will made on a smartphone. Insights expects shoppers to do use their technological devices to complete research regarding their purchases. 55 percent will use the GPS capabilities in their phones, while 47 percent will use the devices to price check different items.

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Next to the Saturday before Christmas, Black Friday ranks as the seminal shopping day of the season. Yet a recent analysis by Consumer Reports’ and Decide.com, a website that tracks electronics products and pricing, reveals that the day after Thanksgiving isn’t necessarily the optimal time to get the best deals on many products.

A recent analysis of prices from the mid-November to mid-December period in 2010, conducted with Decide.com, showed that in a significant proportion of cases, the lowest prices of the season on the included items were not on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the day following the Thanksgiving weekend.

For example, more than a quarter of the recommended TVs and cameras were at least 5 per cent cheaper between Cyber Monday and December 13 than they were earlier, including during the Black Friday weekend. With laptops, the resulting data indicated that consumers would have been at least as likely as with TVs and cameras to save on recommended models by waiting.

“There’s no doubt you can score some incredible bargains by getting up extra early or staying up past your bedtime to take in the midnight madness sales,” says Consumer Reports’ senior editor and shopping expert Tod Marks. “But retailing trends suggest that the opportunity to score a great deal won’t end this weekend. So there’s no need to panic.”

But if you plan to shop at a store or from the comfort of home, here are five Black Friday tips that can help save your money and sanity. The full list can be found at www.ConsumerReports.org.

• It’s not always worth breaking down the ‘door.’There is no doubt that manufacturers offer some deep discounts on Black Friday. Generally, the very best “doorbuster” deals are only available in limited quantities, and perhaps only for a short duration. Since early October, there has been a flurry of doorbuster promotions promising items such as a $200 laptop or TV.Black Friday earned its reputation as a bargain-hunter’s paradise because retailers feature a few of these high-profile items as loss leaders, which are sold at- or below-cost to draw shoppers in. But consumers shouldn’t bother to show up unless they are willing to wait on line, sometimes for hours before the store opens, and should be prepared for possible disappointment. There are no guarantees, and usually no rain checks.

• Sniff out the most appealing specials in advance. Numerous websites, such as FatWallet, Gottadeal, and TheBlackFriday.com obtain and publish Black Friday deals, often weeks before they’re officially released. You can also find out which products come with rebates and which merchants offer free shipping. “Like” your favorite retailers on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for advance notice of special sales. You can also follow @DealCyberMonday on Twitter.

• Try to get it for less online. If a circular features an eye-popping deal, consumers should visit a price-comparison Web site to see if another reliable seller is offering it cheaper. Some sources worth checking: Bizrate, Nextag and Pricegrabber. Shoppers might want to try Amazon, too, as Consumer Reports’  reader surveys have cited Amazon as a good merchant for appliances, electronics, and books. And don’t shop without first checking for coupons at sites such as Coupons.com and RetailMeNot.com.

• Request a price guarantee. Ask if the retailer has a low-price guarantee – which entitles shoppers to a refund of the difference between the new price and the original price paid if the item goes on sale or if it’s offered cheaper elsewhere. Walmart recently announced that it’s beefing up its price-matching policy for the holidays. Note that most price-matching policies apply to the price charged by a “local” competitor, not websites like Amazon.com or even warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s.

• Eye return policies carefully.The blanket policy for most products at big-box stores is 90 days, but may be shorter for electronics.  Some merchants extend the return period for holiday purchases, but they reserve the right to refuse to take back anything without an original or gift receipt, especially if the item was bought with cash.Even if a store agrees to take an item back without a receipt, they may only issue you a gift card or store credit slip in exchange. And shoppers will get back the value of the lowest price the item actually sold for, not necessarily the value of the price paid for it. Receipts are needed to take advantage of warranty services. Make sure there are no restocking fees for returned goods

To help shoppers make the best purchasing choices this holiday season, check out www.ConsumerReports.org/holiday. The site will be updated frequently throughout this Hanukah and Christmas holiday season with new postings to ensure that people are prepared for the holidays with the latest information.

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Retailers have threatening to make Thanksgiving a shopping holiday with earlier start times for their Black Friday sales this year. Shoppers are resisting and more than ever will be going online to do their Black Friday shopping. GottaDeal.com, having covered Black Friday online since 2003, offers tips to their visitors for getting the most deals when shopping online this week.

“More Black Friday deals than ever will be available online this year, even the most popular doorbuster specials,” says Brad Olson, Owner of GottaDeal.com. “We’re telling our visitors that if they don’t want to shop in stores all night long, they can get the exact same deals from the comfort of their home.”

GottaDeal.com acquires leaked copies of Black Friday ads from major retailers. “The extra time allows our visitors to research products, compare prices, and come up with a plan of attack for the big day, whether they are shopping online or in stores,” says Mr. Olson.

The site offers a comprehensive “Online Black Friday Tracker” which provides a schedule of when the online Black Friday sales start for each retailer, as well as a listing of sale items that can be ordered online at any given moment. In addition to this tracker, the site features a dedicated online Black Friday message board where visitors can discuss the sales, ask questions of the experts on the site and post what deals they are finding.

In addition to using the tools available on the site, GottaDeal.com offers additional tips:

“Prepare your online retailer accounts – Go to each website for stores you plan to shop at this week and make sure your shipping and billing addresses are up to date. Also make sure your credit card information is saved to your account.”

“Be aware of free shipping offers – One of the best parts of online Black Friday shopping is getting your items shipped for free. Each retailer has a different shipping policy – some, such as Best Buy, offer free shipping on absolutely everything. For other stores, there is usually an order total threshold that you must reach to get free shipping.”

GottaDeal.com is a year-round online deals site dedicated to saving visitors money. It features hundreds of online deals posted each week, an updated listing of online coupons and a large community message board. Every autumn, the site opens their Black Friday website dedicated to covering Black Friday sales and holiday shopping trends.

K2 images / Shutterstock.com

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