Defiant Shoppers Determined to Splash Out With Voucher Codes This Christmas

LEEDS, England, December 17 - Shoppers are defying the recession by spending more this Christmas, and
many are using voucher codes from sites such as VoucherSeeker
(www.voucherseeker.co.uk/vouchercodes), for money off products, to
stretch their budget as far as possible.

Last Christmas retailers witnessed their worst Christmas sales in years.
Shoppers hit by the recession were simply not spending money, high street
stores resorted to bringing sales forward in order to try to temp spending.
Retailers feared the same would happen this season as another unsettled year
is set to hit consumers.

However, a year on this does not seem to be the case. Earlier this week
stores such as John Lewis reported that shoppers are breaking all time weekly
sales records in the run up to Christmas. Items such as fashion, watches,
gaming products and sewing machines were the more popular products sold.

This year it seems shoppers are determined to enjoy their Christmas,
despite an unclear year ahead. Consumers are more resolute to treating
themselves and family. However, shoppers are being more savvy about the way
they shop and where they shop, turning to the internet as a way to save
money. Research by Deloitte found that 7 in 10 people are planning on buying
their Christmas gifts online this year. In fact, their research found that
46% more people are planning on purchasing online this year than last year.
Retailers have also noticed the increased interest, with 75% of retailers
stating that online sales have increased compared to last year, and 85%
expect it to increase next year.

Online shopping is becoming so popular that the second Monday in December
is now famously named 'Cyber Monday', where online sales rocket as consumers
try to make purchases for the big day. This year, Cyber Monday is expected to
have made sales of GBP320 million for online retailers.

"People are watching their spending very carefully this Christmas,"
states Neil Ainsworth, VoucherSeeker Director. "They want to create a magical
Christmas, and are using promotional codes such as Vodafone promotional codes
(www.voucherseeker.co.uk/file/8c07f9b2387a79aa4860f829cdf713e7/vodafon
e-promotional-code.html) and Currys discount vouchers (
www.voucherseeker.co.uk/file/a62ac26940c49940f7f8da1eabd901e1/currys-d
iscount-codes.html) from VoucherSeeker to make sure they get the most out of
the money they have."

(Due to the length of these URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste
the hyperlinks into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)

Consumer awareness of promotional code sites has risen, as consumers
search for more ways to save money. Shoppers are now well aware of prices for
products both online and off. The internet is now a useful tool for shoppers
to compare prices for products and ultimately achieve the best price for
items.

Another factor which may influence the purchasing decision for shoppers
is the price of delivery. Many stores are offering free delivery over the
Christmas period, which is proving all too tempting for shoppers, who dread
the thought of over crowded shopping centres and not being able to find
products. Research by RBS WorldPlay found that as retailers are unable to
afford hiring enough staff to cope with the Christmas rush, queues within
stores are becoming longer. Stores with longer queues put more consumers off
and as a result these consumers are more likely to look elsewhere for their
products, either online or in another less busy store. Shopping online gives
consumers the comfort of shopping in their own home, the ability to shop
around for the best prices and the opportunity to use vouchers for money off
items.

The internet has now become a staple for Christmas shopping. Whilst last
year saw retailers struggling to spark interest amongst consumers, online
retailers had less difficulty. The ease of access and use of voucher codes by
retailers ensured consumers were happy with spending online.

Deloitte claims that the online retail market will be worth GBP25 billion
by 2010, in 2005 it was worth GBP9 billion. The rise is due to consumers
finding purchasing online more convenient, whilst the rise in discount
voucher sites such as VoucherSeeker make discounts for well known brands more
available.

Shoppers are determined to make Christmas special this year, with many
planning on spending more this year than last. One way consumers are managing
to treat themselves and their families to a bigger Christmas is by using
discount codes and vouchers from sites such as VoucherSeeker
(www.voucherseeker.co.uk/vouchercodes), for money off items.

About VoucherSeeker

www.voucherseeker.co.uk is a leading UK voucher codes website. It
features all the latest vouchers, voucher codes and discount codes from a
wide range of shops and top brands. Users can use the site to find the latest
discount vouchers and promotional codes to save money on many products and
services. VoucherSeeker also provides its users with details of all the
latest sales and promotions.

VoucherSeeker(R) and ClickAngel(R) are registered trademarks of
ClickAngel Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.

For further information, please contact Deborah Read at VoucherSeeker:
email: deborah.read@clickangel.co.uk, direct line: +44-113-380-0891.

For further information, please contact Deborah Read at VoucherSeeker: email: deborah.read at clickangel.co.uk, direct line: +44-113-380-0891.