America’s bargain-hunting habits: What shoppers will and won’t do to save a buck
Yonkers, NY – You might already be a pretty shopping-savvy saver, and we’re not encouraging you to become a crazy-coupon lady, but there’s no reason you can’t save even more by checking out the lengths to which other bargain-hungry shoppers will (or won’t) go for a great deal.Americans will go to great lengths to save, according to our national survey [1], in which we asked 1,021 women about their bargain-hunting habits.
The percentage of women looking to save has increased in recent years: Today, 83 percent say they’re a bargain shopper, up from 76 percent in 2011. And only 1 percent of women today say they aren’t sure whether they are deal seekers.
Some other figures that jump out from the survey:
- 23 percent sometimes buy things they don’t need just because they’re on sale, while 32 percent show great restraint and never make such purchases.
- 36 percent feel guilty when they pay full price.
- 47 percent share news of their great deal with family and close friends, 35 percent tell anyone who will listen, and 10 percent keep it to themselves.
- 59 percent wait for a sale to buy what they want.
- 77 percent rarely or never regret buying a sale item.
- 80 percent say they’d look for a sale even if money were no object.
You’ll find more details from the survey below, including information on coupons [2] and haggling [3].
Where are you on the bargain-crazy spectrum? Share your thoughts in our best deals discussion [4].
How often do you haggle?
- Frequently 13 percent
- Sometimes 26 percent
- Rarely 34 percent
- Never 27 percent
Listen up non-hagglers: 89 percent of people who ask for a better deal end up getting one, according to another national survey we did.
Coupon trends
Things have changed a lot in three years. Clipped and printed coupons are out, and smart-phone deals are in.
- Smart phone coupon use up 118 percent: 24 percent said they use smart phone coupons now vs. only 11 percent in 2011.
- Online coupon use down 24 percent: 39 percent use online coupons now vs. 51 percent in 2011.
- Paper coupon use down 23 percent: 64 percent said they use paper coupons now vs. 83 percent in 2011.
What you do for a deal
- 48 percent bought an item with a small scratch or other imperfection and asked for a discount.
- 18 percent returned an item and rebought it at the same store to get a lower price.
- 19 percent waited in line before a store opened to get a deal.
- 13 percent bought clothes or shoes not in their size because they were a great deal.
Check our calendar of deals [5] for when all sorts of products are on sale, and look chic on the cheap by using our guide to outlet stores [6] and tips for finding first-rate deals [6] at luxury consignment shops.
Editor’s Note: In December 2013, the Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a nationally representative phone survey to assess the bargain-hunting habits of 1,021 adult female U.S. consumers. Consumers were asked about their motivation for bargain shopping, techniques they use to get a great deal, and post-bargain shopping behavior. This article was adapted from the May 2014 issue of ShopSmartmagazine [7].