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Americans Confess to Pre-Meditated Shopping While On Vacation
Orbitz Survey Reveals 51% of Vacationers Have Done Their Holiday Shopping While
Traveling
CHICAGO, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- From the designer jacket in New York, to the
hand-blown wine glasses in Napa, to the scandalous bathing suit in Miami, we
treasure the items we give for what they are as much as where they come from
... whether they're presents for ourselves or others. A recent survey of
travelers by Orbitz, the site with more low fares, more hotels and more cars,
reveals that 51% have done their holiday shopping while vacationing, ringing up
an average of $2,000 on their most extravagant out-of-town shopping sprees.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041025/CGM002 )
Just how important is shopping to travelers? For almost three-quarters of
leisure travelers (73%), shopping is as important, or more important, than
nightlife when planning a vacation. In fact, 49% of survey respondents
admitted to purposefully leaving room in their suitcase to bring back purchases
made while traveling. Some take it even further, buying an extra suitcase
(17%) or even throwing things away to make room for their new loot (4%).
"People are passionate about travel, and they're passionate about shopping,"
says John Samuel, Orbitz executive vice president for Consumer Travel. "At
Orbitz, we make it our business to take the guesswork out of finding a great
deal on travel for consumers who are traveling to shop or just happen to shop
while they travel."
While on vacation, serious shoppers are willing to sacrifice comfort to come
home with more items. To save more money for shopping, 21% of respondents have
booked a cheaper hotel, 19% have skipped a meal or eaten a less expensive meal,
and 16% have walked or taken public transportation instead of taking a cab.
According to the survey, 51% of vacationers have considered sales, outlet
shopping and local retail hot spots when planning a trip. As far as which is
the best city in the United States for shopping, respondents reported:
-- New York (41%)
-- Las Vegas (15%)
-- San Francisco (14%)
-- Los Angeles (13%)
-- Chicago (13%)
People aren't just shopping in their travel destinations; they're also shopping
en-route. Sixty-three percent of respondents have purchased gifts in airport
gift shops. Reasons include having time to waste in the airport (39%),
forgetting to purchase the gift while on the trip (23%), taking advantage of
duty-free items (21%), wanting to indulge themselves (15%), wanting to buy
something to entertain the kids (11%), needing to spend extra currency (9%) and
other (9%).
And just who is at the receiving end of all this gift buying? It's not only
friends and loved-ones. Fifty-four percent of vacationers admitted to
splurging on gifts for themselves that they wouldn't buy at home.
From now until December 18, Orbitz is partnering with the award-winning
shopping magazine Lucky to make planning a shopping excursion easier than ever.
The editors at Lucky have scoured eight destinations -- Boston, Chicago, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Seattle -- for their
favorite finds in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, gifts and specialty items, as
well as great restaurants. Travelers can get all the information they need to
plan their shopping adventure while finding great deals on air and conveniently
located hotels when they log on to http://www.orbitz.com/shop.
Methodology
Harris Interactive(R), via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus, fielded the nine
question survey on behalf of Orbitz. This report presents the uncoded findings
of this online study conducted among a nationwide sample of 2,696 U.S. adults
comprising 1,282 men and 1,414 women 18 years of age or older. The data were
weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis
of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and
propensity to be online. Interviewing for this omnibus survey was completed
during the period August 25 through August 30, 2004. The margin of error for
the total sample is plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Please see corresponding press release "Orbitz Partners with Lucky Magazine to
Make Shopping for Travel, and Traveling to Shop, Easier than Ever."
About Orbitz
Orbitz is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for
and purchase a broad array of travel products, including airline tickets,
lodging, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Since launching its
website to the general public in June 2001, Orbitz has become the third largest
online travel site based on gross travel bookings. On http://www.orbitz.com/,
consumers can search more than 455 airlines, as well as rates at tens of
thousands of lodging properties worldwide and at 22 car rental companies. For
more information on the company, visit http://www.orbitz.com/ .
Statements in this press release regarding Orbitz that are not historical facts
are forward-looking statements and are subject to risks, assumptions and
uncertainties that could cause such statements to differ materially from actual
future events or results. Any such forward-looking statements are made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. The following factors, among others, could cause Orbitz'
actual results to differ materially from those described in a forward-looking
statement: Orbitz' ability to retain and attract customers on a cost-effective
basis; increasing competition from existing or new competitors; relationships
with Orbitz' controlling stockholders and with other travel suppliers;
limitations that could affect the expansion of our Supplier Link business;
risks relating to our ability to expand our business generally; specific risks
that could affect our ability to achieve growth plans for portions of our
business, such as hotels; rapid technological change affecting our industry;
technical and operational issues, such as journey control restrictions, that
result from changes in travel suppliers' distribution methodologies that could
affect our results; risks associated with litigation or government regulation;
declines, disruptions or events affecting the travel industry; potential
fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results. This list is intended to
identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results
to differ. Readers are referred to the reports and documents filed from time
to time by Orbitz with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion
of these and other important risk factors. Readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of
this press release. Orbitz undertakes no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or any other reason.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive ( http://www.harrisinteractive.com/ ) is a worldwide market
research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for
pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market
research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Harris Interactive combines
proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom
and strategic research. The Company conducts international research from its
U.S. offices and through wholly owned subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe (
http://www.hieurope.com/ ), Paris-based Novatris and Tokyo-based Harris
Interactive Japan-as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of
independent market- and opinion-research firms.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041025/CGM002
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
DATASOURCE: Orbitz
CONTACT: Media, Terri Shank of Orbitz, +1-312-894-4915,
Web site: http://www.orbitz.com/