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ONLINE COMPARISON SHOPPING A HUGE
HOLIDAY HIT
Survey Shows Majority of American Still Buy Locally
Chicago - November 21, 2006 – It's Thanksgiving
Day and the 20-pound bird is in the oven. So what do you do
for the next five hours? According to traffic on the online
comparison-shopping Web site, ShopLocal.com (http://www.shoplocal.com),
Americans are using their "turkey time" wisely.
"Approximately 95 percent of our visitors do their homework
online and use the information gathered to purchase items
in their local stores," said Eva Yusa, also known as
"Eva the Shopping Diva," ShopLocal.com shopping
blogger. Eva offers these great tips on getting a jump on
holiday shopping this Thanksgiving:
- Start Online - Don't let the holiday
stop you from shopping. The Internet is always open. Go
to a site such as ShopLocal.com to get the jump on holiday
gifts and compare prices and products from the comfort of
your own home.
- Balance The Books - Don't go into the
red this holiday season. Take some time to create a budget
for gifts and keep track of expenses by saving gift receipts
in an envelope.
- Make Your List - It may sound passe,
but devote some quality time to making a good list so you're
not stuck on December 24 realizing that you forgot your
Uncle Harry. Also, add "hostess" and "grab
bag" gifts to the top of the list so that you're prepared
for unexpected parties or Secret Santa exchanges.
- Check It Twice - Is your list in "ship"
shape? If you're planning on mailing gifts to friends and
family, note which gifts will be sent so you can take advantage
of free shipping. Many retailers offer free shipping --
and that means you don't have to wrap!
- Get Organized - Though you may do your
research on the Web, statistics say you'll end up purchasing
your gifts in stores. Prepare for your trip by packing some
shopping essentials like your list, a little snack and a
bottle of water. That way, even if you have to do some last
minute shopping, your bag is ready to go. Remember -- wear
comfortable shoes and a light jacket ... those stores can
get warm.
- Dream Up A Theme - Take the guessing
out of holiday shopping and use a theme for all your gifts.
Bring the sound of music and give everyone a cool new 1GB
iPod Shuffle or spread holiday cheer with the gift of a
delicious bottle of your favorite wine for those on your
list.
- Set Real Deadlines - And don't let one
of them be December 24. Create a shopping calendar for yourself.
The holiday season is a fast and furious one. Enjoy the
holiday times and avoid last minute shopping by setting
dates for purchasing your gifts, and if necessary, wrapping
and shipping them.
ShopLocal, LLC, offers consumers and retailers a comprehensive
marketplace for multi-channel shopping and advertising. With
ShopLocal.com ( http://www.shoplocal.com
) and The ShopLocal Network -- made up of more than 200 affiliate
media, search and shopping sites -- consumers have access
to the only Web site with information on products from local
stores side-by-side with e-commerce options. With ShopLocal's
SmartCircular(TM), SmartCatalog(TM), SmartMedia(TM) services
and MyStore(TM) by ShopLocal, retailers can distribute sales
and promotional content on the ShopLocal site as well as through
their own Web sites, integrating e-commerce and local in-store
promotions.
# # #
ShopLocal, ShopLocal.com, SmartCircular, SmartCatalog and
SmartMedia are trademarks and Eva the Shopping Diva is a service
mark of ShopLocal, LLC. Other company and product names may
be trademarks of their respective owners.
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