Christmas shoppers looking for daily deals

Dealzippy.co.uk, a daily deal search engine, expects the number of shoppers looking for Christmas deals will increase significantly in 2011 compared to 2010.

"We've seen a surge in the numbers of deals available in our Christmas gift ideas category in the last few weeks on everything from digital cameras, fashion, toys for the kids and even home teeth whitening kits," said Dexter Grima, founder of the Deal Zippy website.

According to Grima, retailers are flocking to daily deal sites to post promotions and specials for bargain-hunting consumers. In fact, many retailers are no longer pushing for one-day, limited-time offers, but rather are extending sale periods on the specials so more consumers can take advantage.

Grima believes online retailers are offering more substantial discounts on typical Christmas sale items to encourage shoppers to buy early. This enables online retailers to offer significant savings before deals start appearing in-store later in the shopping season.

Dixons Retail, however, is taking a different approach. Rather than focusing on daily deal offerings, the electronic retailer is partnering with Lucasfilm in launching a massive multi-million pound marketing campaign featuring Darth Vader. The advertisements will be featured online and in-store, and emphasise the exceptional customer service available at the retailer.