Are you betwen the 34 % that will go to shopping the day after the Black Friday? In addition, those who plan to shop on Black Friday say they will spend more overall on their holiday purchases
Matriz Press Release:
A recent Maritz® Poll found that one-third of respondents (37 percent) plan to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. In last year's poll, a similar number (34 percent) said they would shop on Black Friday.
Black Friday = Higher Income, Younger Generations
The consumer market research poll shows that respondents with household incomes of $100,000 or more will shop at significantly higher levels (45 percent) on Black Friday than those in the lowest income group of less than $25,000 (30 percent).
In addition, those who plan to shop on Black Friday say they will spend more overall on their holiday purchases -- $790 compared to $637 for all shoppers combined.
Black Friday also has generational implications with the majority of Gen Y respondents (59 percent), as well as a significant portion of Gen X (46 percent), planning to shop. Only a small percentage of Boomers (23 percent) and the Silent Generation (21 percent) will venture out on Black Friday.
"It's no secret that Black Friday shoppers are looking for discounts, and retailers have already started slashing prices -- earlier than ever before," said Gloria Park Bartolone, vice president, Maritz Research's Retail Group. "If retailers can hit the mark with discounts that appeal to Gen X, Gen Y and those with larger household incomes, they might be able to capture more of the larger spend Black Friday shoppers are planning to make. That could make for a better start to what might be a 'blue' Christmas for retailers."
Reigning in the Holiday Spending
According to the Maritz poll, the average spend this holiday season will be $637, down 10 percent from 2006. One-quarter of all respondents said they would spend less this year, with 50 percent citing "less money to spend this year" as the primary reason.
Where Will Santa Stop to Shop?
Store Percentage of
(list provided) Respondents Planning
to Shop During
the Holiday Season
Wal-Mart 63 percent
Target 57 percent
Best Buy 43 percent
K-Mart 28 percent
Sears 23 percent
Circuit City 21 percent
Kohl's 27 percent
Macy's 25 percent
Victoria's Secret 17 percent
"As retailers compete for holiday spending this year, it's clear that convenience is a top factor for shoppers," said Bartolone. "Stores such as Wal-Mart and Target continuously top the holiday shopping lists by enhancing the customer experience through convenience and 'one-stop shopping.'"
This online Maritz Poll, which was conducted Oct. 8 - 11, 2007, featured responses from 993 randomly selected adults from an Internet panel survey on topics related to holiday shopping, buying behaviors and gift-giving trends. Respondents for this market research poll were split evenly between males and females, and results were weighted to match census demographics (on age, income, race, education and children in household). Margin of error for the overall poll is +/- three percent.
About Maritz® Poll
Maritz® Poll is a copyrighted poll conducted since 1988 by Maritz Research Inc. Maritz Poll comprises regular surveys on topics related to the automotive, financial services, hospitality, retail, technology, and telecommunications sectors as well as workplace issues. Results of the poll may be used in print or broadcast media, provided credit is given to the Maritz Poll and/or Maritz Research. For more information, visit maritzpoll.com or call 1-877-4MARITZ.
About Maritz
St. Louis-based Maritz is a sales and marketing services company, which helps companies achieve their full potential through understanding, enabling, and motivating employees, channel partners, and customers. Maritz provides market and customer research, communications, learning solutions, incentive initiatives, meetings and event management, rewards and recognition, travel management services, and customer loyalty programs.
Source: Matriz
Monday, November 12, 2007
Black friday shopping
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Online shopping protection!
Because holiday shopping is very important for all of us, we can announce you that online holiday sales will increase 21% this year. This is not o problem until we dicover that with this occasion some of us will be the victims of identity theft. You can find below ten tips to protect you Your identity while holiday shopping online.
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated Press Release:
Online holiday sales are projected to increase 21 percent in 2007, according to Forrester Research. But while consumers continue to increase their use of holiday shopping, there is also widespread fear that they will be the victims of identity theft. That's why Huntington Bank has developed ten tips that shoppers can follow to make for a safe and secure holiday season whether consumers are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.
"At Huntington we understand how time-starved our customers are and how convenient online shopping can be," said Timothy J. Scholten, senior vice president responsible for Huntington's online banking. "Huntington's online banking site continues to be one of the top 10 sites in the country. We want to share our expertise with shoppers to give them peace of mind about their online transactions."
Make your list, check it twice and follow Huntington's ten cyber shopping tips:
1. Check your accounts daily for any activity you did not initiate. This
is especially needed during the busy holiday shopping season. You
should be able to log on quickly and check to see if there is any
unusual activity in your bank or credit card account that you did not
initiate. If there is, contact your bank immediately.
2. Do business with companies you know and trust. Research a company
before revealing personal or financial information online. Confirm an
online seller's physical address and phone number in case you need to
get in touch with them. If you get an email or pop-up message from the
seller while you're browsing that asks for financial information,
don't reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies
don't ask for this information via email or pop-ups.
3. Watch out for fake "look-alike" sites. Some con artists disguise their
Web site as a well-known company's site. Check your browser's address
bar to make sure you're always using the correct Web site address. If
the Web site seems suspicious, leave it immediately and call the
company.
4. Check a company's privacy policy before doing business with it. A
company should allow you to know what personal information its Web
site is collecting, why and how it will be used. If you can't find a
privacy policy -- or if you can't understand it -- consider taking
your business to another site that's more security-conscious and
accommodating to customers.
5. Only provide personal information if you're on a secure Web site.
Once you are logged in, make sure the Web address starts with "https"
("s" means it's secure). For added safety, check for a site
certificate before submitting information on a secure page. Confirm
the owner of the certificate by clicking on the padlock icon at the
bottom of most browsers. You should see the owner listed as well as
the site address. This address should match the Web site address at
the top of the page; if they do not match, you may be at a fraudulent
Web site and should not enter personal data.
6. Never respond to emails asking you to "confirm" recent transactions
after you shop. These likely are "phishing" scams sent to lure private
information from you.
7. Maintain a paper trail. Print and save records of your online
transactions, including the product description and price, the online
confirmation/receipt, and copies of any email(s) you exchange with the
seller.
8. Do not share your passwords with anyone and never provide your social
security number, birth date, or mother's maiden name in an email.
9. Make sure all of your security software is up-to-date before you do
your online shopping. That includes anti-virus software, anti-spyware,
and firewalls.
10. Use a separate email account for your online shopping. You can set up
a free email account online through several different services.
About Huntington
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $55 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Huntington has more than 141 years of serving the financial needs of its customers. Huntington's banking subsidiary, The Huntington National Bank, provides innovative retail and commercial financial products and services through over 600 regional banking offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Huntington also offers retail and commercial financial services online at huntington.com; through its technologically advanced, 24-hour telephone bank; and through its network of over 1,400 ATMs. Selected financial service activities are also conducted in other states including: Dealer Sales offices in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; Private Financial and Capital Markets Group offices in Florida; and Mortgage Banking offices in Maryland and New Jersey. Sky Insurance offers retail and commercial insurance agency services, through offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia. International banking services are available through the headquarters office in Columbus, a limited purpose office located in both the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong.
Source: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
Monday, October 29, 2007
Smart holiday shopping
The holiday season represents one of the most important period of the year for most retailers but for customers also. The holiday season makes us to spend a lot of money for gifts. It's knew the fact that plenty of us spend in holidays period more than we can afford.
Read the advices below for a better shopping for the holiday season.
Jennifer Litwin Press Release:
Home shopping expert and Random House author Jennifer Litwin announced today five things consumers should consider when shopping for the holiday season. Litwin also researched name brand store credit/gift cards that achieve the biggest bang for the buck for the consumer.
"Holiday shoppers are always thinking about finishing their homes in time for the holidays, accommodating guests, and doing it all on a budget," said Shop Cop and Random House author Jennifer Litwin. "What consumers don't realize when finishing their homes in time for the holidays is the varying degrees of 'pay for play' benefits each name brand store credit and gift card will offer when making purchases. Some holiday shoppers may spend just a $100 to finish their home while others may spend $10,000; so knowing what store credit/gift cards can save them money and give them great deals can make all the difference in the world."
5 Things to consider when shopping this season:
1) If shopping online, look for free delivery. Many stores are offering
free delivery as an incentive. Otherwise, there is typically a charge
of about 10% for shipping big ticket items like furniture.
2) Beware of store credit card rebate/savings programs because most only
offer a 1-2% savings on the cost of your purchases, but you will still
incur financing charges, just as with a typical credit card.
3) If a price seems too good to be true, ask to see an assembly sheet to
find out how difficult it will be to actually assemble the piece.
4) Buy gift cards for your loved ones that can be used both in the store
and online. Many egift cards can only be used for online purchases,
and then merchandise needs to be returned to a non-store location.
5) If making a lot of purchases try to do it with a store credit card that
offers good discounts for large purchases, or free, desirable gifts.
Wondering where to shop this season? Here's the lowdown on the red flags and nice bonuses of shopping at your favorite retailers:
BED BATH & BEYOND(TM): Offers college savings plan, Upromise, which when you make purchases 1% is given to your child's Upromise college savings account. Upromise doesn't offer such a great reward as an incentive to shop here, but one benefit of shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond is that anything you buy online can be returned at anytime either in the store or by mail. This is great.
BEST BUY(TM): Best Buy's store credit card has a caveat: your interest rate will be "determined upon review of your credit history and application." It works like a regular MasterCard, requiring the holder to pay a minimum amount monthly. Like Circuit City, Best Buy offers a Rewards Program, but only credits you 4% of your purchases instead of 5% offered at Circuit City. Not a huge benefit. Online gift card purchases offer free shipping.
CIRCUIT CITY(TM): The Rewards Program here allows you to get back 5% of your purchases in the form of a coupon that can be used online or in the store. Doesn't seem like a great deal, unless you are buying big ticket items. Gift cards purchased either online or in the store may be used online or in the store. Free shipping on gift cards.
COST PLUS WORLD MARKET(TM): There is no shipping charge for gift cards. However, cards purchased online must be used for online purchases. Huge downside of shopping online: shipping costs can run more than 10% of the purchase price for a standard delivery of 5-7 business days -- very expensive. The World Market Credit Card offers perks such as 3-6 month free financing, from time-to-time, and you can earn Rewards Coupons for each dollar you spend.
CRATE & BARREL(TM): Free shipping on standard delivery gift cards. For 2 business day rushes, shipping charge is only $6. The low shipping charge is a great option for a rush-order gift. Housewares and furniture items can cost 10-25% of the purchase price -- this is no deal. Any item purchased online can be returned by mail or in the store. 90-day return policy for credit or refund, but must have valid receipt. Without a valid receipt you will get a store credit only.
ETHAN ALLEN(TM): 3-6 month free financing term. This is a good plan for new homeowners, but at the end of that period, though, pay in full or be subject to accrual of 23-27% APR interest (ouch). Don't finance here unless you can pay at the end of your free financing period.
HOME DEPOT(TM): Credit card has no annual fee, and even offers perks like discounts on travel and store products. Points accumulate to earn discounts and freebies. No interest for 6 months on purchases of $299 or more -- good holiday shopping perk.
LOWE'S(TM): Gift cards can be used both in the stores and online. Volume discounts are offered.
MENARDS(TM): 2% Rebates on Menards purchases (doesn't add up to enough of a savings to apply for their credit card), but $10 in-store certificate when you make your first $100 purchase on your Menards card. No annual fee. Returns for items purchased online through a gift card may be returned at the store (a perk).
PIER 1 IMPORTS(TM): Quantity shoppers will love the rewards that come with shopping here. Accumulating points gets you special cardholder discount days, and becoming a cardholder gets you 10% off your initial purchase(s).
ROOM & BOARD(TM): On unlimited purchases of furniture, a flat-rate shipping fee, ranging from $69-199, on small items $15 flat fee on unlimited items, on larger accessories and small furniture: $25-79 flat rate. Good shipping rates.
ROOMS TO GO(TM): Their store credit card is currently offering no payment, no interest payment and no down payment until January 2009, and many items come with free UPS ground shipping. These are great benefits as the holiday season draws near.
TARGET(TM): 2 Kinds of gift cards. The ecard can only be used for online purchases. The store-bought gift cards can also be used online. It pays to buy gift cards in the store. Save 10% when you open your Target credit card account. Another great perk of the Target credit card: get 10% off on pharmacy purchases.
WAL-MART(TM): Free shipping on gift returns -- very generous. However, return your items within 90 days to get a refund. One benefit of buying online is that you can have free shipping on items that can be shipped to a nearby Wal-mart. Thousands of items can be shipped directly to their stores. A HUGE perk. You will get an email telling you that your items have arrived and are ready for pick-up within 7-10 days, on average.
About Jennifer Litwin
Home shopping expert and personality, Jennifer Litwin, has spent more than 15 years making sense of the retail world. Since writing her two popular books, Furniture Hot Spots: The Best Furniture Stores and Websites Coast to Coast, and Best Furniture Buying Tips Ever! this Random House author has created segments for television telling what's hot and not in everything for your home. Jennifer Litwin also appears regularly in magazines, news shows and on radio programs.
Source: Jennifer Litwin
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Midnight Shopping at Orchid City for festive season!
ations the mall is also running various promotional offers. Source: Orchid City Centre
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Shopping goes virtual and social - "The Extreme Makeover of Retail» seminary in Montreal
It is retail influenced by the virtual market? Are you buying things on line? Do you still love go shopping or do you prefer better to stay at home and choose your clothes and other objects by looking pictures on the Internet? Does your attitude influence retail? They are some questions that will receive answers at the seminary "The Extreme Makeover of Retail» who will take place in Montreal.
My Virtual ModelInc. Press Release:
My Virtual Model Inc in collaboration
with the MIT Media Lab and the RBC Financial Group Chair of E-commerce are
inviting the representatives of the media to the seminar "The Extreme Makeover
of Retail" that will put in perspective how retail is being influenced by
virtual marketing, personalized advertising based on avatars, product
placement in games and Web applications, the arrival of Web 3.0, as well as
social and virtual shopping.
<<>>
To get information about the panellists and the conference subjects go
to: www.mvm.com/MCPC/indexEN.htm
For further information: Fabienne Barbe, Press Officer, My Virtual Model
Inc. (514) 523-9966 Ext 293,fbarbe@mvm.com.
Source: My Virtual Model Inc.