Shoppers spending less, looking for more bargains

More than half of Americans — 56.7%  — say they will be spending less this holiday due to the economy, but one in five — 22.8% — still plan to be out in the shopping fray on Black Friday, according to the latest American Pulse survey by BIGresearch.

A majority, 51.2%, say they will be looking more this year for sales than last, and 31.8% are heading online to find deals. And while more major retailers are offering a layaway program to help customers out, nearly half — 47.4% — say they are not likely to use the alternative payment plan. Just 9.4% say they are very likely to do so.

In other findings, more than a third — 36.4% ­ — said they hate to return gifts because it's a hassle, and 15.8% say they have “re-gifted” items.

The monthly online survey queried 4,348 respondents.