Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

Yonkers, N.Y. – Unsurprisingly, crowds and long lines are the single biggest consumer dread for the holiday season. According to a new Consumer Reports poll, 61% of consumers dread crowds and long lines, followed by bad traffic (54%).

More than half (54%) of shoppers believe the best holiday discounts will be in December and 83% will continue to comparison shop for gifts throughout the month, according to PriceGrabber’s December Winter Holiday Shopping Survey.

The survey of 3,299 U.S. online shopping consumers shows 87% of consumers will conduct most of their holiday shopping in December this year (compared to 78% in 2012).

Los Angeles – More than half (54%) of shoppers believe the best holiday discounts will be in December and 83% will continue to comparison shop for gifts throughout the month. PriceGrabber has released results from its December Winter Holiday Shopping Survey, of 3,299 U.S. online shopping consumers, that shows 87% of consumers will conduct most of their holiday shopping in December this year (compared to 78% in 2012).

Austin, Texas - A majority of consumers (79%) plan to shop the end-of-year sales after the holidays are over. In addition, a new survey from RetailMeNot and The Omnibus Company shows that nearly half of consumers (42%) report that they typically end up returning at least some gifts they receive for the holidays.

Amazon is touting its Prime program again this holiday season, reminding members that they can order gifts as late as midnight EST Sunday, Dec. 22, and still get free delivery before Christmas.

The online retailer is leveraging the shorter shopping period this year, which is one week shorter than last year’s, to drive sales by emphasizing the convenience that online shopping can afford — a surefire way to draw shoppers who want to avoid the imminent crowds this weekend.

The majority of American shoppers think that holiday discounts advertised by retailers are faked, according to a survey conducted by British marketing consultant David Rawlings.

Rawlings’ Google survey, "Before-Christmas sales — Do you believe the discounts are genuine?" queried 1,500 American Internet users, and found that more than 70% of those polled answered "no" to that question.

Sam's Club is offering some extra holiday cheer for shoppers who are looking to buy last-minute gifts and save some money in the process. The company is inviting the public to a three-day Holiday Open House from Friday, Dec. 20 to Sunday, Dec. 22.

The event allows shoppers to take advantage of lowered prices on the season's hot items, like smartphones and notebooks, without paying non-member upcharges.

More Americans now say they are loosening the purse strings in advance of the holiday season, and fewer say they are tightening their belts, according to a recent Citi national survey.

Only 35% said they would be spending less than last year, reflecting the lowest level of holiday budget cutbacks since the financial crisis. As many as 63% of Americans plan to spend more (11%) or the same (52%) on holiday shopping this year.