For a regional comparison however, the same statistics present a very different picture, naturally reflected by the variation of population in each area. Overall, the highest performing region by far is the South West, followed by the South East and Scotland. The lowest performing region is Wales, whilst East, Yorkshire, London, Midlands, North West and North East all scored marginally higher respectively.

The statistics have been compiled by Pricerunner from a demographic survey of more than 2,636 of its users conducted during a six-week period during February and March 2005. From this initial survey, Pricerunner worked closely with Experian, the leading supplier of consumer segmentation data, to create a Mosaic profile* based on postcode data provided by participants of the survey in order to get a demographic view of its user base.

The same survey also showed that whilst consumers below 25 years old may be the most frequent users of the internet, they are not the savviest group of consumers when it comes to finding the best bargain. Savvy shoppers are most likely to be aged between 25 and 34, followed closely by users expected to have access to more disposable income, aged between 35 and 44.

PriceRunner also scored high in terms of visitor retention with 76% of visitors returning to the site to check prices once per month. Gary Goodman, marketing director at PriceRunner comments: “We have a very loyal user base because we’re independent and our listings cannot be influenced. Consumers trust us to find the best price for particular products and provide them with as much information as possible to help them make an informed buying decision”.

Pricerunner is the only price comparison site that provides prices for products sold by both online retailers and high street stores. Pricerunner allows consumers to search for a product and compare UK retail prices, saving both time and energy and providing the best possible price for thousands of products.

For example, if you are looking to buy a Dyson DC14 Animal, you could pay £234.94 inc. delivery at www.247electrical.co.uk or get stung for £299 at Argos – therefore making a saving of £64.06 by shopping around.

Other products, such as the Sony Ericsson T610 mobile phone show even greater savings. Using www.pricerunner.co.uk you would find that you could pay £89.99 inc. delivery by ordering online at www.kayslifestyle.co.uk or a whopping £386.55 at www.microwarehouse.co.uk – a difference of £296.56.**

About PriceRunner

PriceRunner, a division of ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK), offers product and price comparisons in the categories of personal care, books, computers, films, finance, games and consoles, golf, home appliances, home cinema, household bills, insurance, music, phones, photography, software and sound and vision. Pricerunner.com was the first site in the UK to compare information from both online and high street stores and is the only one that lists non-paying retailers to give users a better overview of the market. By giving the consumer an objective and informative overview, PriceRunner makes it easier for the consumer to make a smarter purchase more quickly.

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Press Contact:

Peppercom Europe
Gioconda Beekman
Tel: +44 (0)20 7033 2660
Mob: +44 (0)7813 855596
Email: gbeekman@uk.peppercom.com

* Mosaic profiling is a classification that paints a rich picture of UK consumers in terms of their socio-demographics, lifestyles, culture and behaviour. Mosaic classifies consumers by household or postcode.

** prices correct at time of going to press

The survey asked people on the site ‘What will be the most popular gift for Christmas this year?’ and ‘What do you most want for Christmas?’ 20% of men said that they would prefer a digital camera and 16.5% women said they would like jewelry.

It’s the same every year. Christmas gift anxiety sets in, your mind goes blank and you suddenly realise you want everything you’ve bought for other people.

PriceRunner.co.uk can help you make those decisions, knowing what both men and women would most like to open on Christmas day.
The Christmas gift guide: jewelry for women, digital cameras for men. Below are results to the question “What do you want for Christmas?“

Below are results to the question “What will be the most popular gift for Christmas this year?”

If your wallet won’t stretch as far as you’d like and you’re mentally preparing to be posted in the ‘book token buyer’ category, let Pricerunner help you find the best prices. Pricerunner.co.uk is a price comparison website that compares all prices on and offline, trawling around shops so that you don’t have to.

Watch out – don’t buy any of these…

Spot the best deals on PriceRunner:
Fujifilm FinePix S304, digital camera: Snap it up at Amazon.co.uk for just £229.99 – or get caught out at Tesco’s where they’ll charge you £329.99 = difference of £100.

Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition): Grab the box set at Dvd.co.uk for just £17.99 or get stung at 101cd.co.uk for £26.99 = difference of £9.

Notes to editors
Pricerunner is affiliated with Stuff and Computeractive magazine offering price comparison services that guarantee saving time and money.

About the survey
PriceRunner.com asked the question in a pop-up survey at uk.pricerunner.com during October 10th-November 5th 2003. 791 women and 1 658 men answered the survey.

Background information
PriceRunner.com is one of two business areas within PriceRunner. PriceRunner.com offers product and price comparisons in the categories personal care, books, computers, films, finance, games and consoles, golf, home appliances, home cinema, household bills, insurance, music, phones, photography, software and sound and vision. Pricerunner.com was the first site in the UK to compare information from both online and high street stores. By giving the consumer an objective and informative overview, Pricerunner.com makes it easier for the consumer to make a smarter purchase more quickly. The other business area is Pricerunner Research, which generates and refines statistics based on data from Pricerunner.com, e.g. price statistics, product statistics and consumer behaviour statistics. Pricerunner was founded in July 1999 and the service was launched in December 1999. The main owners are NewMedia SPARK, Bonnier Venture, TDC (former Tele Denmark) and 3i.

For more information please contact the press office:
Peppercom UK Ltd.
Tel: 0207 253 0265
Email: fhollis@uk.peppercom.com gfirth@uk.peppercom.com
www.pricerunner.co.uk
Fiona Hollis mobile: 07973 906 965
Georgina Firth mobile: 07778 241 333