Save on Valentine's Day Gifts with Coupons

(ARA) – Sales for the holiday season were down this year according to January reports. And consumers made the most of their money by shopping for sales and with coupons.

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by RetailMeNot.com studied the shopping habits of more than 2,000 Americans, and found that, as a result of the economy, nearly half of consumers plan to spend less money on gifts this year compared to last year and that one in five will spend significantly less, especially as Valentine's Day approaches.

Ninety percent of Americans believe that coupons are a great way to save money and nearly two in five will use coupons to save on gifts this year. Now, with the emergence of online coupons shoppers can save a lot of money with only a few clicks. Unlike traditional coupons that are clipped out of the Sunday paper, online coupons are codes that are typed in when making an online purchase and are often good for a percentage off or free shipping.

There is no cost to use coupons from coupon Web sites, and the savings can be significant. According to RetailMeNot.com co-founder Guy King, a poll of visitors to the site found that the average shopper saved $30 when they stopped to pick up a coupon on the site before making a purchase.

Coupon-sharing sites are the best, because they allow shoppers to post coupons themselves and then rank and comment on them to help other shoppers get the best price.

According to Csilla Dunn, a Lewisville, N.C. mother of two, “I tell my friends to never click ‘purchase’ when shopping online before checking a coupon-sharing Web site for a discount. By using coupon Web sites, I am able to find deals in seconds. Sites like this help me continue to buy the things my family needs at prices we can afford.”

And shoppers don’t even need to go to a coupon Web site to find online coupons -- RetailMeNot.com lets users install a toolbar on their Internet browser which alerts them when coupons are available for the sites they are already visiting.

King is happy that RetailMeNot.com will play a role in helping consumers find gifts for their special someone this year. “Our mission is to help consumers to save the most money possible when shopping online. And the more people who get involved with the site by contributing coupons and tips, the better the services we can provide,” he says.

Retailers also benefit from offering coupons, according to the survey. Three out of four consumers said they are more likely to return to a store that offers coupons and 72 percent said they would be willing to try a new store if they could use a coupon.

To see the full results of the survey, visit: www.retailmenot.com/harrispoll/fall2008.

Courtesy of ARAcontent