Consumers looking to bag a Mother's Day bargain

Shoppers planning to spend $87, 20% less than last year Australians are planning to spend 20 per cent less on this year’s Mother’s Day present as a growing number of shoppers search online for the ultimate bargain, according to a survey by leading price comparison website, www.getprice.com.au Conducted earlier this week, 61 per cent of survey respondents said the economic downturn had affected the amount of money they plan to spend this year – planning to pay an average of $87 each for the Mother’s Day present. This presents a 20 per cent decrease on what respondents said they intended to spend in a survey conducted 12 months ago by GetPrice. “After Christmas, Mother’s Day is one of the busiest period for retailers with consumers searching for the perfect gift to give their mum. We are seeing a growing number of people feeling the pressure of the economic downturn and they are coming to us to get that perfect gift at the best possible price,” Chris Hitchen, chief executive officer, GetPrice said. The survey conducted from April 30 to May 3 also revealed: • The top most popular Mother’s gift categories for 2009 are homewares (30 per cent), entertainment (16 per cent), jewellery (14 per cent), flowers (13 per cent) and clothing and shoes (11.5 per cent) • The majority (69 per cent) of respondents said the economic downturn had made them more likely to compare before they buy • 70 per cent of shoppers are spending more than 30 minutes researching products before making purchase decisions • 83 per cent of respondents said if they could buy a great gift for a better price by using online comparison shopping, they would consider using it to buy the gift • 58 per cent of respondents leave buying a Mother’s Day present to the last minute “We are seeing a spike in traffic to www.getprice.com.au as shoppers try to make their money stretch further. This is a smart move with shoppers saving up to 30 per cent on a product by researching and comparing on Getprice before making a purchase. “We expect to get busier over the next couple of days as last minute shoppers seek out the best gifts at the best price,” Mr Hitchen said. GetPrice.com.au offers consumers choice, with more than one million products in 500 categories from consumer electronics to cosmetics, perfumes, fashion, white goods and homewares. On GetPrice, consumers are able to track price history and compare prices amongst a range of items from 500 trusted retailers to find the best deal – all this from the comfort of their own home. -ends-