By Joseph Staples // SWNS
NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
Deal or no deal: The average American spends 83 hours annually scrolling online for the best sales, saving nearly $10,000 a year.
A survey of 2,000 general population Americans who shop online found 65% believe finding an online sale brings unmatched satisfaction.
Some respondents said the best deals they’ve ever found in their lives include huge discounts on designer clothing, exercise equipment and jewelry.
One respondent even recalled scoring a $500 flight from Hong Kong to Chicago so they could be reunited with their spouse.
Commissioned by Slickdeals and conducted by OnePoll, the survey found 68% love to hunt for deals just for fun.
More than half (56%) brag about a sale they found to their friends and family.
Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they want to share their good deals so others can find great purchases, too. When strangers compliment them on the outfit they bought on sale, 58% feel inclined to tell them how much money they saved.
After finding a good deal, 52% of respondents said they need to sit back and reflect on what just happened. On average, these reflections can last up to 30 minutes.
Yet, finding deals is about more than just bragging rights. Data showed three in four Americans look for deals online because they want to save money. In fact, 45% will only buy products if they’re on sale — claiming they’ll never pay full price for something they find online.
Just as many (75%) said they care more about finding the best value than just buying into a sale because something is cheap.
"Many of us have had the experience of discovering a great deal and wanting to share it with our friends and family,” explained Ryan Tronier, senior personal finance editor at Slickdeals. “The access we have online helps us to share information with a greater pool of people and crowd-led deal hunting is becoming increasingly popular.”
In order to catch products right when they go on sale, 44% of people have sale alerts set up. Eighty-nine percent of those using sale alerts said it made finding online deals significantly easier.
People will also keep their eyes on a pending deal for an average nine days before giving up.
Currently, respondents said they’re keeping their eyes peeled for deals on clothes (44%), shoes (33%) and groceries (31%).
Meanwhile, the most difficult items to find online right now include video game consoles (21%), computer parts (17%) and home appliances (15%).
Fifty-one percent of Americans will purchase a hard-to-find product, even if it’s not on sale. Half said they didn’t like or care for people who resell and scalp hard-to-find products online.
Interestingly, however, 39% said their feelings change if they’re suddenly the ones reselling products.
Tronier added, “Whether deal-seeking for bragging rights, fun or to save money, this survey illustrates that consumers are actively looking to find the best value for their dollar. Our community of savvy shoppers is discovering, connecting and voting up the very best deals at any given time, so it’s like having 12 million friends to help you understand whether you're getting the best price.”
HOW FAR WOULD AMERICANS GO TO GET A GOOD DEAL?
- Take an online survey - 63%
- Sign up for an email newsletter - 59%
- Sign up for a rewards program - 51%
- Sign up for text updates - 50%
- Apply for a store’s credit card - 28%