Many Americans shoppers don’t buy into holiday discounts

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.



This is particularly true among retailers in the Northeast with a more mature, higher earning demographic. Among those polled aged 55-64, 90% think that pre-Christmas sales are simply a persuasion tactic to get the cash registers ringing.



"In the light of this data, retailers should be very cautious of jumping on the 'before Christmas sale' band wagon and prioritize their credibility over short-term sales strategies," said Rawlings, who heads several marketing firms, including Conversionality.