Survey: Consumers Motivated by Selection, Not Price, In Holiday ’06

Nearly 40 percent of consumers this holiday shopping season reported changing their shopping venue based on which merchant best met their needs, according to a recent survey released by the accounting firm KPMG. According to the survey, 81 percent of consumers said they shopped wherever their desired items were in stock, while 75 percent said a simple return policy influenced their purchasing decisions. Other data revealed by the survey:

* 5 percent of shoppers said they moved a larger portion of their holiday budget to Internet shopping in 2006, compared with 6 percent in 2005;
* 19 percent of respondents cited price as influential in choosing where to shop;
* 41 percent of electronics buyers said low prices were important when choosing where to shop;
* 54 percent of consumers made purchases online; and
* 62 percent said they used the Internet to research an item.

Source: KPMG holiday survey, http://sev.prnewswire.com/retail/20061228/NYTH00228122006-1.html