COLUMBUS, OHIO, 2014-11-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Americans’ confidence gives Big Lots the edge during this holiday season. Customers are now focused on deals every day and throughout the entire Thanksgiving week. In addition to heeding the call of Black Friday sales, customers are choosing to shop in-store on Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. It’s their confidence in making the best-informed decisions for their budgets that influence their holiday shopping, according to a recent nationwide survey.
“Just being open on Thanksgiving or announcing Black Friday deals will not win over customers during the holiday season,” stated Andrew Stein, Senior Vice President, Chief Customer Officer, Big Lots. “Big Lots is proud to offer great deals and an easy shopping experience every day.
Our customers are smart shoppers and rely on us for everyday basics as well as great gifts at incredible prices. Whether they are shopping early or picking up last-minute items, customers want to know they were able to get the item they wanted at a great price.”
A nationwide survey of more than 1,100 people, commissioned on behalf of Big Lots, found that almost half (46 percent) of shoppers do not shop on Black Friday confirming recent data released by Adobe System, Inc., that retailers’ largest price discounts were on Monday before Thanksgiving and the season’s lowest prices were on Thanksgiving Day.
Proving what most analysts believe, customers will see a move to early and deeper discounts this holiday season. As a reflection of this trend, from now through Christmas, customers can shop Big Lots Toy Clearance Blowout with 50 percent off of already low prices including hundreds of major brands along with Barbie™, Fisher Price™, Hot Wheels™ and Hasbro® board games.
In addition to everyday deals, Big Lots customers can find great prices during Thanksgiving week on entertaining prep and gifts such as seasonal décor, small kitchen appliances, recliners, sofas, mattresses, toys and electronic accessories.
As the survey indicated, Americans enjoy the holiday shopping experience, with more than 80 percent of respondents confirming they enjoy shopping for gifts while 42 percent take pleasure in “wowing” their friends and family with their gift-giving.
Other key findings include:
• For most, budgets will determine how much is spent (37 percent); while budgets will not impact or limit gift-giving for others (23 percent).
• Although more than 76 percent give gifts because they really want to, there is a small sense of ambivalence (22 percent) on the size of the gift.
• Women shop more stores (3.2) versus men, who shop fewer stores (2.9).
• The Pacific Northwest shopper visits the most stores (3.4) as compared to the
Southwest shopper, who shopped the least number of stores on Black Friday (2.9).
About Big Lots, Inc.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG) is a unique, non-traditional, discount retailer operating 1,496 BIG LOTS stores in 48 states with product assortments in the merchandise categories of Food, Consumables, Furniture & Home Décor, Seasonal, Soft Home, Hard Home, and Electronics & Accessories. Our vision is to be recognized for providing an outstanding shopping experience for our customers, valuing and developing our associates, and creating growth for our shareholders. For more information, contact visit
www.biglotsmedia.com
Media Contact: Colleen Cleary—(631) 921-5320