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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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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