Recession-hit shoppers search for discounts online

UK consumers are embracing the trend in using online discount vouchers, with searches growing by 48% in the past year, according to Hitwise. Searches for discount vouchers on Google show a 67% jump in searches between December 2007 and December 2008.

Robin Goad, UK director of research at Hitwise, said “Consumer behaviour has changed so that people are looking online to research a product, looking at where to find the best price and finally doing a search to see if there is a voucher for it.”

Researchers have also found that as economic duress presses down on wallets, online shoppers increasingly scour the internet for the best value on their purchases, not just low prices, MarketingVOX reports.In essence, “Value is the new black,” proclaims the study by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, with sponsorship from LinkShare and gsi interactiveSM. The research branded this new breed of shopper a “value hunter.”