ShopLocal Reports Record 28 Percent Increase in Thanksgiving Day Deals With Earlier Start to Black Friday Shopping

CHICAGO, Nov. 22, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- ShopLocal™, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), is reporting a record breaking rise in deals available on Thanksgiving Day as retailers and shoppers look to get an earlier start on Black Friday shopping.  Leading retailers increased their Thanksgiving Day offers by 28 percent over last year, to give shoppers a head start on their holiday shopping, and promoted them heavily well in advance of Black Friday. Consumers responded in large numbers, with a 15 percent increase in page views over last year, as they planned their shopping through the month of November.

"The holiday shopping season continues to be promotion intensive, as retailers compete for the attention of shoppers," said Vikram Sharma, CEO of ShopLocal. "Savvy retailers advertised even earlier this year, with Black Friday ads posting on average six days earlier than last year. Black Friday shopping, which has gradually been moving up by the hour, is now following dessert as a post-dinner activity on Thanksgiving Day. Shoppers won't be disappointed as they are going to find a lot of great deals to choose from, both online, and as they visit their local stores."

While some still view Black Friday as the start of the holiday shopping season, the majority of retailers and consumers now begin advertising in October, and Black Friday ads are out much earlier in November. In a highly competitive environment, retailers want to promote awareness of their offers, and become part of consumer consideration as early as possible.  The promotions continue to emphasize in-store offers, but online shopping continues to grow, and according to comScore, online spending on Thanksgiving Day has grown by 128 percent in the last 5 years. With so many choices, consumers are very active in planning their shopping, and the growth of SmartPhones and Tablets is enabling them to do so anywhere and anytime. ShopLocal data shows growth of 172 percent for the iPad and 67 percent for mobile overall for the month of November.

The latest promotions from leading retailers can be found at http://www.shoplocal.com/sales.aspx.

About ShopLocal
ShopLocal, the leader in multi-channel marketing services, offers a complete suite of innovative digital solutions that connect advertisers and consumers -- online and in-store. ShopLocal's industry-leading SmartProduct business solutions (SmartCircular, SmartCatalog and SmartDelivery) enable more than 100 of the nation's top retailers, including Target, Macy's, Home Depot, CVS, Staples, ToysRUs, Walgreens, Kohl's and Sears, to deliver highly interactive, targeted and localized promotions to shoppers through online circulars, display advertising, search, social media, digital out of home and mobile. ShopLocal is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

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SOURCE Gannett Co., Inc.