Los Angeles, Calif., March 18, 2008 — PriceGrabber.com®, a part of Experian, explores portable-style laptop trends through its latest Consumer Behavior Report. Results are based on a survey of 1,868 online consumers conducted in late February 2008. PriceGrabber.com defines portable-style laptops as weighing less than six pounds and having a screen size of less than 15 inches measured diagonally. Of the 72 percent of respondents who indicated owning or using a laptop, 58 percent own or use a portable-style laptop.
Lugging Around Laptops
Consumers who have different laptops for work/school and personal use carry the burden of traveling with multiple laptops. Of those surveyed, 38 percent need two or more laptops. The demand for portable-style laptops has increased over the past year as more consumers find it a nuisance to carry around the standard-size laptop, let alone two. Forty-four percent of online consumers say they would travel more often with a laptop if it were smaller and lighter.
High-priced Portable-style Laptops Draw Niche Market
Forty-six percent of consumers stated that performance is the most important feature to consider when purchasing a portable-style laptop. Unfortunately, as performance increases and the size of the laptop decreases, it comes with a price that not everyone is willing to spend. Of the nine percent of respondents who anticipate spending more than $2,000 for a portable-style laptop, 62 percent said they value performance as the most important feature, while 11 percent value battery life and nine percent value weight.
A Little Something for Everyone…Else
Survey results indicate that the majority of online consumers are split between low-end (under $1,000) and midrange-priced ($1,000–$2,000) portable-style laptops. Of the top 20 most popular laptops on PriceGrabber.com, 12 are portable-style laptops with an average price point of $979. On the site, shoppers can search by screen size to find the laptop that fits them best.
When it’s time to upgrade, regardless of size or price, PriceGrabber.com encourages consumers to be ecofriendly and recycle old laptops. Last year, PriceGrabber.com launched ShopGreen, a comprehensive guide to more than 20,000 ecofriendly products. The March Consumer Behavior Report continues to highlight PriceGrabber.com’s commitment to green shopping by including suggestions from Olivia Zaleski, environmental consultant and blogger for PriceGrabber.com’s BlogGreen, Treehugger.com and Huffington Post.
PriceGrabber.com will continue to track online shopping trends and market shares in the coming months. To view the full Consumer Behavior Report which also includes lists of the most popular standard and portable-style laptops and more statistics from the portable-laptop trends survey, please visit http://mr.pricegrabber.com.
About PriceGrabber.com
PriceGrabber.com, part of Experian InteractiveSM, has established itself as one of the most trusted and effective online comparison shopping services, allowing approximately 26 million consumers each month to search and compare information that enables them to find the right product from the right retailer at the best price. Through continued innovation and a consistent focus on providing the best comparison shopping experience on the Internet, PriceGrabber.com provides savvy shoppers access to millions of unique products and services from thousands of retailers and sellers in 23 product channels. The company also powers comparison shopping functionality for a network of leading Internet sites, including MSN Shopping, AOL Shopping, About.com, iVillage Comcast and CNET. The company offers comparison shopping in English (at http://www.pricegrabber.com), Spanish (at http://www.preciomania.com) and Portuguese (at http://www.precomania.com) as well as international sites in Canada and the United Kingdom.
PriceGrabber.com is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. PriceGrabber is a registered trademark, and PriceGrabber.com and BottomLinePrice are trademarks of PriceGrabber.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Experian
Experian® is a global leader in providing information, analytical and marketing services to organizations and consumers to help manage the risk and reward of commercial and financial decisions. Combining its unique information tools and deep understanding of individuals, markets and economies, Experian partners with organizations around the world to establish and strengthen customer relationships and provide their businesses with competitive advantage. For consumers, Experian delivers critical information that enables them to make financial and purchasing decisions with greater control and confidence. Clients include organizations from financial services, retail and catalog, telecommunications, utilities, media, insurance, automotive, leisure, e-commerce, manufacturing, property and government sectors.
Experian Group Limited is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. It has corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, and operational headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Nottingham, UK. Experian employs approximately 15,500 people in 36 countries worldwide, supporting clients in more than 65 countries. Annual sales are in excess of $3.8 billion.
For more information, visit the Group’s Web site on www.experiangroup.com.
Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact:
Michelle Kane
PriceGrabber.com
1 310 954 1040, ext. 289 Telephone
mkane@pricegrabber.com Email