Puget Sound Residents Will Choose Relaxing over Shopping this Memorial Day

Seattle, WA - What would Memorial Day be without all the sales? They are the biggest of the year, inspiring many to seek advice on how to get the best deals on what's hot this summer. But most residents of the Seattle and Northwest area will not be shopping this weekend. Instead, they will be hanging out at home with family and friends.

A recent survey conducted by Ipsos MarketQuest in Bellevue through the online Voice of the Northwest panel found that only 6% of respondents said they will be shopping this Memorial Day holiday, compared to 62% who will be hanging out at home. 32% say they will be barbequing or picnicking, and 24% say they will be working on their homes, either doing home improvement or just cleaning.

This also means most people won't be out hiking or camping, even though Memorial Day marks the start of summer. Only 9% of survey respondents stated that they plan on hiking, backpacking, or camping over the holiday weekend. This is despite the fact that 20% of respondents--residents in the Seattle Metropolitan area--say they hike or backpack at least monthly during the summer months, and 10% camp monthly.

Whatever interest Puget Sound residents have in the great outdoors may not override the need to hang out at home with family and friends. And whatever great deals are being offered to consumers this weekend, they don't seem great enough for many to take advantage. For retailers, Memorial Day may be about the bargains, but for Northwest residents, it is about the comforts of home.

These are the findings of an Ipsos MarketQuest survey fielded from May 8 to 12, 2013. This online survey of 329 Puget Sound residents was conducted using Ipsos MarketQuest's exclusive "Voice of the Northwest" panel - an online panel of more than 2,000 Puget Sound area citizens. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online studies of this nature; however, an unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 5.40 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release please contact:

Mary Kaye O'Brien Vice President Ipsos MarketQuest 425.586.5589 [email protected]

Elen Alexov Director, Marketing Services Ipsos in North America (778) 373-5136 [email protected]

About Ipsos MarketQuest

Ipsos MarketQuest aims at understanding consumers, shoppers and markets to drive business growth. Our experts help clients to identify business opportunities, define the best positioning for their brands, allocate their marketing investments and develop winning strategies at the point of sale.

Ipsos is the only global agency with a dedicated practice in this area, under-pinned by a powerful and validated philosophy centered on deeper human motivations. Our solutions are based on simplified metrics and always linked to business outcomes, through an extensive usage of activation sessions and real-time simulations.

Visit www.ipsosmarketing.com to learn more.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.