Back-to-School Online Coupons Drive In-Store Sales, according to Prospectiv Survey

WOBURN, MA – Parents will clip before they buy back-to-school merchandise this year, both online and print coupons. Sixty-eight percent of consumers surveyed in Prospectiv’s 2006 Back-to-School CPI poll said they will use coupons while shopping for the upcoming school year. In addition, 58 percent of parents said they will use their online coupons for in-store purchases – which is where most shoppers plan to do the majority of their 2006 back-to-school shopping. Ninety-one percent of those polled will spend at department stores and/or discount stores.

Prospectiv (http://www.prospectiv.com), a provider of online customer acquisition solutions to leading consumer brands, is the owner and operator of the online properties Eversave.com, Healthier.com, and TheKnowledgeStop.com.

Also boding well for retailers – for the second year in a row, parents will reach deeper into their pockets as the first day of school approaches. According to the survey, 46 percent of shoppers will spend more on school supplies compared to 2005. Last year saw a 43 percent increase in money spent over 2004. Forty-one percent of shoppers will spend the same in 2006 as in 2005.

In 2006, 66 percent of parents will do up to a quarter of their back-to-school shopping online. Why? The convenience of shopping from home or the office, 24/7 was ranked the top reason by those polled, at 35 percent. The ability to avoid crowds inspires 24 percent of back-to-school shoppers to buy online. Better deals (19 percent), the variety of products (13 percent) and free shipping (6 percent) are also catalysts in buys via the Internet.

What are shoppers spending their money on for school-year preparation in 2006? Seventy-six percent of those surveyed expect to pay out the most cash for back-to-school clothing. Books and supplies was the second biggest spend at 17 percent. Five percent will spend most on electronics.

Though newspapers and circulars remain parents’ primary source for back-to-school coupons, there is a growing preference for email and online offers. Fifty-one percent of those polled said they’d welcome online promotions through email and websites tailored to their back-to-school shopping needs. In fact, 51 percent of survey respondents said receiving such targeted offers would increase their shopping and use of online coupons.

“Our survey findings indicate an advantage for consumer brand marketers that use online coupons to drive customers to their retail location,” said Jere Doyle, President and CEO, Prospectiv. “As the results also show, consumers increasingly prefer the Internet as a resource for offers and information from their favorite brands. These stats further prove that online marketing offers ideal tactics for promoting consumer brands.”

More than 67 percent of those polled are starting their back-to-school shopping now – in the month before the new school year, according to CPI.

Prospectiv conducted the 2006 Back-to-School Shopping survey, gathering responses from over 1000 consumers across the United States. The survey was conducted from July 17 – July 24, 2006

About Prospectiv’s Consumer Preference Index (CPI):
Millions of active, self-profiled consumers have registered at Prospectiv’s vertically-targeted online properties – Eversave.com (connects consumers with quality offers from leading brands), TheKnowledgeStop.com (premier resource for online and campus-based education and degree programs), and Healthier.com (website offering consumers information, promotions and products to achieve a healthier lifestyle) – enabling Prospectiv to compile insightful survey data for advertisers and marketers. Prospectiv’s 20-point data authentication, cleansing and validation process ensures the database of self-profiled consumers is current, active, and accurate in order to deliver the highest quality data to clients.


About Prospectiv:
Prospectiv provides industry-leading customer acquisition, email marketing and data analytics solutions to leading consumer brand marketers. The company’s solutions enable the world’s best brands to find and build profitable relationships with the right customers through expert media buying, broad media reach, proprietary technology, and comprehensive analytics. Millions of active, self-profiled consumers have registered at Prospectiv’s vertically-targeted online properties – Eversave.com, TheKnowledgeStop.com and Healthier.com. Prospectiv generates more than 50 million pre-qualified responses per year on a pay-for-results basis for clients, including many Fortune 1000 companies such as Procter and Gamble, Wal-Mart, Pfizer, Dell, Nestle and Schering-Plough. Founded in 1999, Prospectiv is privately-held and is based in Woburn, Ma. Please visit http://www.prospectiv.com for more information.

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