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Holiday Survey Reveals: Women Shop Like Santa, Men Shop Like Scrooge

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 November 2005, 06:00 CST

Men are from Mars, Women are from the mall. According to BizRate Research study conducted for leading comparison shopping search site Shopzilla (www.shopzilla.com), women are chomping at the bit to start their holiday shopping. In fact, 60% of women report as such, although only 42% of men report the same sort of anticipation. Compared to women, men are more likely to feel aggravated or frustrated (17% vs. 8%) and befuddled or confused (8% vs. 3%) when thinking about holiday gift buying.

Mrs. Claus Drives the Sleigh:

Women are already driving the sleigh when it comes to online shopping with 68% of online purchases made by females, up 4% from 2004. Not surprisingly, women typically identify more with Santa Claus (55%) while less than half the men surveyed (46%) report feeling like the jolly holiday figurehead. Men are more likely to identify with The Grinch (9%) and Ebineezer Scrooge (9%) than women (5% and 3% respectively).

More Shopping Gender Differences:

Women are significantly more likely to shop with friends (24% vs. 12% of men). On average, men have 9 individuals on their holiday gift list and women have 12. While nearly all online shoppers have family members on their holiday list (96% of men and 98% of women), women are more likely to have other individuals on their list, for example, 74% of women report friends versus 54% of men. Co-workers, neighbors and service professionals are also more likely to be on the holiday lists of women.

With rising gas prices, 40% of shoppers said they would make their purchases online to avoid driving to the malls.

"Our survey showed that 57% of shoppers like browsing and purchasing gifts during the weekends and nights," said Helen Malani, chief shopping expert, Shopzilla, Inc. "This not only demonstrated the massive infiltration of broadband in the home but also reflects consumers' lives becoming busier during primetime, typically 9 to 5."

Consumers are Getting Comfy with their Computers:

The survey revealed consumers continue to get more comfortable with online shopping. Of those asked, 86% have purchased gifts online in the past, while 30% of people make most of their purchases online. Furthermore, the majority of shoppers interviewed prefer shopping alone and at night, making the Internet the ideal destination for 24/7 shopping freedom. Most respondents (82%) shop online to save time and to make their purchases at any hour of the night. The survey indicated 71% do so to avoid large crowds and 52% shop online to get the best deals.

About The Study:

The study, conducted by BizRate Research, a division of Shopzilla, Inc., was based on a point-of-sale survey with a sample of 2,456 online buyers from September 23 through September 26, 2005.

About Shopzilla, Inc.:

Shopzilla, formerly BizRate.com, is the most powerful and easiest-to-use shopping search site on the Web. With an index of more than 30 million products from more than 60,000 stores, Shopzilla uses ShopRank, a proprietary patent-pending algorithm, to help shoppers instantly find virtually anything on sale from anyone, anywhere on the Web at the best price. Shopzilla also features powerful comparison tools and BizRate consumer reviews of stores and products, the Web's largest and most trusted consumer feedback network. Every week Shopzilla prepares millions of shoppers to make smarter, more confident purchases and sends them directly to the checkout page of thousands of online merchants. Shopzilla also operates the BizRate consumer feedback network with more than 2.5 million members and about 1 million fresh reviews per month. Shopzilla powers shopping search for many of the Web's largest consumer sites including AOL, Lycos, Time Warner's RoadRunner, and many others.

Founded in 1996, the Los Angeles-based company also operates sites in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Shopzilla is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:SSP), a diverse media concern with interests in national television networks, newspaper publishing, broadcast television stations, TV retailing and licensing and syndication.

For more information, visit www.shopzilla.com, the smarter way to shop. Holiday Gift and Online Shopping Fast Facts Five Most Wanted Holiday Gifts for Men: -- Gift Certificates -- Electronics -- Books -- Toys & Games -- Jewelry Five Most Wanted Holiday Gifts for Women: -- Gift Certificates -- Books -- Games -- Clothing -- Cosmetics/Bath & Beauty Products What's Hot at Shopzilla.com: -- Bare Minerals Cosmetics: http://www.shopzilla.com/8B--Cosmetics_-_ cat_id--95__keyword--BareMinerals -- College Football Jerseys: http://www.shopzilla.com/8B--NCAA_Shop_- _att295384--295253-__cat_id--12030500 -- iPod Nano: http://www.shopzilla.com/7S--MP3_Media_Players_-_att247 --551976-__cat_id--499__prerd--1 -- NFL Jerseys: http://www.shopzilla.com/8B--NFL_Shop_-_att382886--29 5253-__cat_id--12060300 -- Oreck Vacuums: http://www.shopzilla.com/8B--Vacuums_Accessories_-_ att259--266603-__cat_id--13110106 Online shopping this holiday season should reach $26.2 billion in sales, up 21.9% from last year according to a 2005 eMarketer study.

Source: Business Wire

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