Nearly half of shoppers go out of their way to find the best deals and great bargains
Britain is a nation of bargain hunters – with 41% regularly going out of their way to get extras thrown in.
The study of 2,000 adults found four in 10 will only consider making a purchase if they feel they’re getting a good deal.
While 31% browse four or more different websites before purchasing something so they don’t miss out on the best price.
And 14% are ‘very comfortable’ with haggling a price down.
Andrea Burchett, a managing director for Virgin Red, which commissioned the research, said: “There aren’t many better feelings than landing yourself a brilliant deal.
“It can be difficult to keep track of all the various reward or loyalty schemes available.
“But the seriously savvy bargain hunters will be on top of this, and our results show shoppers would be more inclined to buy things if they knew they could earn points for their purchases.”
The study also found clothing is the retail area Brits are most likely to try and find a bargain on (49%), followed by insurance (48%).
Others look for a good deal with food (47%), electronics (46%) and white goods like washing machines and fridges (45%).
Adults are less likely to search for bargains on tickets for things like gigs or sporting events, or rail fares – thinking the prices are fairly set in stone.
But 79% believe finding a bargain has become more important amid the cost of living crisis.
And 11% will spend more than an hour shopping around to search for the best deal, before pulling the trigger on a purchase.
Of those who shop online, 97% would consider ditching their basket if their discount code or deal didn’t work at checkout.
While 66% would also be ‘much more inclined’ to buy something if they could earn reward points redeemable elsewhere.
The average adult has three such cards, although 13% carry around six or more, according to the OnePoll.com data.
Food is the most common way adults spend reward points, followed by meals out or small rewards like hot drinks.
But only one in five strongly feel they take maximum advantage of all the reward card points they’ve accrued.
Andrea Burchett added: “There’s no bad time to start being more wary of your spending habits, but the middle of a cost of living crisis is definitely a good time to get into it.”
Top ways adults spend reward points
- Food
- Meals out
- Small rewards, like coffees and hot drinks
- Clothes
- Days out, such as a trip to the zoo, cinema or theme parks
- Small households items
- Hotels
- Electronics
- Flights
- Cleaning products
- Tickets for gigs or sporting events
- Rail fares
- Energy bills
- White goods, such as a washing machine or fridge
- Insurance
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk