'Self-Santa-ing' - a New Christmas Shopping Phenomenon is Born

By Pricegrabber.co.uk, PRNE
Monday, December 6, 2010

Forty-four percent of UK consumers plan to Self-Santa this Christmas

LONDON, December 7, 2010 - PriceGrabber.co.uk(R), a part of Experian, has just released the results
of a Christmas shopping survey of 1,004 respondents conducted between 8 Oct.
2010
and 18 Nov. 2010. Survey data explores consumer gift purchasing patterns
this Christmas, especially the trend of consumers acting as "Self-Santas" by
purchasing gifts for themselves.

According to PriceGrabber.co.uk survey data:

Some UK shoppers plan to spend more on gifts for themselves than on
presents for family and friends:

    - Eighteen percent of all UK consumers plan to spend more than pounds
      Sterling 50 on gifts for each family member or friend this Christmas.
    - Twenty-four percent of consumers are set to spend more than pounds
      Sterling 50 on gifts and treats for themselves in the run up to
      Christmas.

Many consumers, especially men, plan to Self-Santa this Christmas:

    - Forty-four percent of consumers plan to Self-Santa this Christmas.
    - Men are most likely to Self-Santa, with 48 percent planning to shower
      themselves with gifts and treats this Christmas, compared with 42
      percent of women who plan to Self-Santa this Christmas.

The most popular reason to Self-Santa is to take advantage of
sales/discounts:

    - Of those consumers planning to Self-Santa:
      - Sixty percent indicate they Self-Santa to take advantage of
        sales/discounts.
      - Twenty-one percent reveal they Self-Santa as a result of impulse
        purchasing.
      - Seventeen percent reveal they Self-Santa to ensure they get all the
        gifts they want this Christmas.
      - Eight percent plan to Self-Santa so they can avoid asking friends and
        family for gifts.

People in the North East and men are the most generous:

    - People in the North East are the most generous, with 22 percent
      shelling out pounds Sterling 51 or more per gift for family and friends.
    - People in the Midlands were the least generous, with only 16 percent
      planning to spend pounds Sterling 51 or more on gifts for family and
      friends.
    - Men are more generous when it comes to buying presents for family and
      friends than women. Nineteen percent of men spend more than pounds
      Sterling 50 on each gift for family and friends, whereas only 16
      percent of women stump up this much for presents.

"Retailers offer some of the best discounts of the year during Christmas.
So it comes as no surprise that after a few hours of shopping, many consumers
end up with a few gifts for themselves," stated Justin Segmond, business
director at PriceGrabber.co.uk. "Taking advantage of the special pricing
during Christmas can help shoppers save money in the long run, especially
with the upcoming January VAT increase."

Follow PriceGrabber on Twitter @PriceGrabber.

About PriceGrabber.co.uk

PriceGrabber.co.uk, a part of Experian, is a leading online shopping site
where savvy shoppers can instantly find and compare millions of unique
products and services across 20 categories with thousands of merchants.
Compare products side by side to find the right retailers at the best prices
within popular categories, such as Digital Cameras, Electronics, Computers,
Clothing, Books, TVs and more. PriceGrabber.co.uk provides shoppers with the
right product from the right merchant at the best price anytime, anywhere.
Visit us at www.pricegrabber.co.uk.

About Experian

Experian(R) is the leading global information services company, providing
data and analytical tools to clients in more than 90 countries. The company
helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing
offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check
their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a
constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31,
2010
, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40
countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with
operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and São
Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or
registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product
and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective
owners.

Lisa Balliache of The PR Network, +44-07768-264132, lisa.balliache at theprnetwork.co.uk; or Sharon Banfield of PriceGrabber, +1-323-601-1223, sbanfield at pricegrabber.com

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