Price pressures still a major influence on US retail market

US Americans are back shopping, but most look for bargains over brands.

Here are the results of a survey conducted in December 2011 by WSL Group:

Discount, Discount

1. Nearly three-quarters (75%) of female shoppers say “it’s important get the lowest price on everything they buy," up 12 percentage points from 2008 and up 22 percentage points from 2004.
2. 68% regularly use coupons to reduce costs -- up 7 percentage points vs. 2010.
3. 45% claim they only buy items that are on sale -- also up 7 percentage points.
4. 43% make a point to search online for store discounts before they shop -- up 10 percentage points.
5. 66% ask themselves “Is this a smart use of my money?” before making a purchase (47% with household income of over $150,000).
6. 58% claim to stick to brands and stores they can afford (36% with household income of over $150,000).
7. 48% claim to stay out of stores where they might be tempted to overspend.
8. 43% claim to buy less when they go shopping.

Well known brands need to work harder to be relevant

1. 67% of surveyed women agreed that trusted brand names are not worth paying more for.
2. 26% claim to have given up buying brand name products they know they could not afford (up 7 percentage points from 2010).

Rich or middle class? 30% of Americans in the $100-150K income bracket claim they can only afford the basics. Once considered affluent, six-figure income shoppers are now identifying themselves as middle-income.

This internet survey was conducted by WSL/Strategic Retail from December 1-12, 2012. The survey, called "How America Shops® MegaTrends report, Moving On 2012," included 1,950 respondents drawn from a nationally representative online sample.