Inflation may come and go, but bargain hunters are here to stay, with a third of Americans claiming they’re the best bargain hunter they know (34%), according to a new poll.
The survey of 2,000 Americans’ shopping habits found that 36% of respondents will always look for a deal even when their finances are doing well.
In fact, 87% of these respondents said they’ll carry money-saving habits with them forever.
Conducted by OnePoll for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, the survey found that eight in 10 believe that finding items on sale is important in today’s economy—and 66% are confident they can find a deal on any item.
They shared with pollsters a few of their favorite hacks for saving money:
- looking for items off-season that are on clearance and saving them until I need them
- checking multiple stores to find the most ‘bang for my buck’ on items
- putting “$1.00 in a jar for each hour you watch TV.”
- avoiding impulse shopping
- doing lots of research beforehand
- searching for coupon codes on the internet for specific stores
Finding bargains can also affect people’s emotional health: 85% of those in this random double-opt-in survey said finding a good deal on something “makes their day”.
What makes a “good deal?” On average, Americans estimate an item needs to be at least 36% off in order to consider it a bargain.
More than half of respondents said that even if they needed an item urgently, they would hold off on purchasing it to see if they could find it discounted first (56%).
“Today’s shopper is more knowledgeable than ever before. They know a good deal when they see one and won’t settle for full retail price,” said John Swygert, president and chief executive officer at Ollie’s. “Contrary to what many may believe, deals do exist on brand name items. It’s important for consumers to explore all of the options available to them to get the most savings on the products they love.”
There are 487 Ollie’s discount stores throughout the East Coast, Midwest, and Texas.