AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com), the largest online coupon site in the United States, today released the consumer electronics edition of its Shoppers Trend Report (STR), revealing findings from a poll conducted by The Omnibus Company (http://www.omnibus.com) on this year's most wanted high-tech gifts, consumer shopping preferences and purchasing trends.

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"Long story short, consumer electronics are back on shopping lists for 2012, with 80% of consumers saying that they plan to buy a tech item for the holidays," said Trae Bodge, senior editor of RetailMeNot's Insider magazine. "This could be the year where long-needed upgrades in consumer electronics are what gift recipients will find under the Christmas tree."

PURCHASING TRENDS

• A majority of consumers (80%) plan to buy high-tech gifts during the holiday shopping season.
  • Only half (50%) of consumers say it is likely they will receive high-tech gifts this holiday season.
  • People ages 18–29 are the most likely to expect they'll receive high-tech gifts (78% vs. 41% of those 30 and older).
  • Men are more likely than women to believe it's likely they'll get high-tech gifts (57% versus 44%).
• Most consumers (58%) wait for holiday sales to buy or upgrade technology items.
• When buying a technology-related gift, 67% of consumers are most likely to buy a product that best fits their budget, while 22% are most likely to buy the product that is the best quality, regardless of price.
  • Women are more likely than men to buy a product that best fits their budget (72% versus 61%).
• In the spirit of giving, 28% of consumers give their old high-tech items to friends or family; fewer (20%) sell technology they are no longer using.

"It also appears that the use of mobile technology is increasingly a part of the holiday shopping experience, as 74% of consumers think it would be helpful to be alerted to deals, sales or coupons on a mobile device while shopping in-store. Consumers should try out the new and free RetailMeNot Coupons app for iPhone to help save money while shopping in stores this holiday season," added Bodge.

SHOPPING PREFERENCES

• 45% of consumers are likely to use a mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet) when shopping for the holidays this year.
• 74% of consumers think it would be helpful to be alerted to deals, sales or coupons on a mobile device while shopping in stores.
• Consumers are most likely to buy technology items from a retailer that carries several brands (75%), versus directly from a manufacturer (16%), or from a merchant that refurbishes used products (9%).
• Additionally, 57% of consumers think they can generally get a better deal on technology items by shopping online versus in-store.
  • While most people believe they can get better deals online, those over 60 years of age still look to physical stores for the best deals (52% vs. 40% of 18- to 59-year-olds).

MOST-WANTED HIGH-TECH GIFT LIST

Desktop or laptop computer (32%)

• Three quarters of consumers wanting desktops or laptops this season say they want a PC (75%) more than a Mac (25%).

Tablet or e-reader (32%)

• iPad leads the pack for most wanted tablet or eReader (41%), followed by the Kindle (31%), iPad mini (13%), Google Nexus (7%) and Nook (4%).

Flat-screen TV (26%)

• LED/LCD is the most wanted type of TV this year (57%), followed by 3D (23%) and plasma (20%).

Smartphone (24%)

• iPhones are on nearly half of consumers' gift lists for most wanted smartphones (49%), followed by Android phones (39%).
• Women are more likely than men to want an iPhone (52% versus 45%).

Digital camera (23%)

• Canon (e.g., PowerShot) is the most wanted digital camera brand this year (37%), followed by Sony (e.g., Cyber-shot) (22%), Nikon (e.g., Coolpix) (18%) and Kodak (e.g., Easyshare) (12%).

Music players or accessories (20%)

• iPods are the most wanted music item (37%), followed by other MP3 players (18%), headphones (13%), docking stations (11%), digital streaming devices (e.g., Roku, SlingBox, Apple TX, Sonos) (10%) and speakers (8%).

Gaming console or portable gaming system (20%)

• Play Station 3's are at the top of consumers' lists for most wanted gaming items (30%), followed by the Xbox 360 (25%) and Nintendo Wii (15%).

Gadgets that help consumers stay connected while on the go (17%)

• A mobile Wi-Fi hotspot is the most wanted gadget to help consumers stay connected (47%), followed by a portable battery charger (34%) and recharging station (16%).

To save on laptops, tablets, TVs, video games, cameras and more throughout this holiday season, visit RetailMeNot.com/Holiday.  

For Black Friday specific electronics deals, visit RetailMeNot.com/BlackFriday.

For Cyber Monday specific electronics deals, visit RetailMeNot.com/CyberMonday.

To get deal alerts for our best electronics deals when shopping at the mall, download the RetailMeNot Coupons iPhone App.  For Android users, download the RetailMeNot Coupons App for Android to find in-store offers for tech gifts.

Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted by The Omnibus Company between November 6 and November 12, 2012, among 1,091 U.S.-based consumer ages 18 and over using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

About RetailMeNot.com
RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com) is the leading consumer destination for collaborative online coupon, deal and promotional code hunting and sharing. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of deals and offers from retailers from across the globe. Online coupons are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and expired coupons drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by WhaleShark Media, Inc., the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals.

Shopping on the go? Download the RetailMeNot Coupons app for iPhone and Android phones to access Hot Deals, browse top coupons, popular stores and categories and get thousands of online and in-store coupons to shop when you want, where you want. Make sure to "like" RetailMeNot.com on Facebook, follow the company via Twitter @retailmenot and add us on Google+.

About WhaleShark Media, Inc.
WhaleShark Media, Inc. (www.whalesharkmedia.com) is the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals. The company's websites enable consumers seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers across the globe. WhaleShark Media experiences more than 400 million consumer visits to its sites every year. The WhaleShark Media portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the largest online coupon site in the United States; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the largest online coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; web.Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Poulpeo.com in France; www.Deals2Buy.com; www.CouponSeven.com; and www.CouponShare.com. WhaleShark Media is a fast-growing, profitable company funded by venture capital firms Austin Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Adams Street Partners, Google Ventures, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).

Be sure to "like" WhaleShark Media on Facebook and follow the company via Twitter @whalesharkmedia.

Media Contacts:

Brian Hoyt
RetailMeNot.com
+1 512 777 2957 office
+1 202 330 3070 mobile
bhoyt@retailmenot.com

Kristen Nelson
RetailMeNot.com
+1 512 777 2887 office
+1 832 398 5792 mobile
knelson@retailmenot.com

Allison+Partners (for RetailMeNot.com)
retailmenot@allisonpr.com

SOURCE RetailMeNot.com