• by Masha Geller , November 28, 2001

Here's a hint to what will inspire people to respond to your offers this holiday season. Although bargains abound, nearly three quarters of Americans (71%) who responded to a recent survey of 6,612 people by Deloitte & Touche and BIGresearch say they are not spending additional money because of discounts offered by retailers.

"Holiday shoppers are definitely looking for deals this year, but discounts aren't necessarily inspiring them to spend more," said Tara Weiner, managing director of Deloitte & Touche's Consumer Business Practice. "Promotional marketing is causing consumers to shop around. As a result, department and specialty stores have enjoyed increased traffic as shoppers recognize the opportunity for value at these stores as well as at discount retailers."

Shoppers surveyed who said they were influenced by promotional offers reported purchasing most in the apparel, CDs/movie/books, toys and health and beauty aid categories.

The good news is there is still a lot more shopping to be done, said Weiner. Only 8% of shoppers surveyed have completed all of their holiday shopping for this year; 60% say they have completed only a quarter or less of their holiday purchases so far.

Unfortunately, limited credit card use is one of several factors that may be contributing to a drop in online shopping this year. The survey reports that 60% of shoppers will do some portion of their holiday shopping online this year, down from 66% last year. Only 16% of consumers expect to do 50% or more of their shopping online this year.

On the bright side, Weiner said web retailers that are part of `brick and mortar' stores may enjoy a boost in sales because they share brand name credibility with their 'brick and mortar' counterparts.