Friday, December 14, 2012

Consumers' Budgets are Bigger but National Survey shows Saving is Chic all Year and Shoppers are turning to Consignment Events and Second Hand Stores for Bargains.

The economy is recovering, but a new survey shows families are still shopping for deals and remain as bargain conscious as ever. Saving a few dollars is chic and shopping at second-hand stores is cool Tips: Find Street Fashion Online(may be you can find what you want on the oasap.com) , the research shows.

While families can afford to buy more gifts this year, 99.6-percent say they're still shopping at consignment events and resale shops, according to a survey by Just Between Friends, the nation's leading children and maternity consignment event. Twenty percent of Americans say they shop at consignment and resale shops more than ten times a year.

"Even if you can afford to pay more, why would you? At JBF consignment events, you can buy the same thing you'd find in department stores for 50 to 90-percent off," explained Shannon Wilburn, President and CEO of Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc. "I think the recession showed people they don't need to pay a lot for quality clothes and other items for their kids and for new and expectant moms. Your dollar goes a long way at a consignment event."

The survey also shows that most people have permanently changed their spending habits. More than half of the respondents say they started pinching pennies after the recession began in 2008. While they are earning more today, they still want discounts year-round.

"People don't have to wait for something to go on sale, for a weekend-day special or shop at midnight to save at JBF," Wilburn said. "They know at every single consignment event, they get great bargains on kids gear and clothing. No coupons needed. Even better, most of the money goes back into the pockets of the families who consign at JBF," Wilburn said.

A leading retail analyst says this holiday season shoppers remain zealous for a deal.
"We are still addicted to heavy promotions," Darren Duber-Smith, Metro State marketing professor, told the Denver Post on November 23rd. "This trend started with the recession and never let up."

Just Between Friends surveyed more than 5,000 people. The average respondent is between 30 and 39 years old and more than half earn between $50,000 and $100,000 a year. JBF has 124 franchises in 24 states. Each hosts a big community consignment event twice annually, reaching more than 400,000 families nationwide.

About Just Between Friends
In 1997, Just Between Friends was created in a living room in Tulsa, Oklahoma when Shannon Wilburn, a mother of two young children, and her friend Daven Tackett hosted a sale with 17 friends as consignors and had gross sales of $2000. The sales caught on with families and grew so in 2003, they formed Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc. Wilburn is now sole owner of Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc., which has 124 franchises in 24 states. Just Between Friends has been on the Inc. Magazine 5000 list of fastest growing companies the past four years and was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 500 Franchises. In 2012, Just Between Friends was one of only 75 companies to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Blue Ribbon Award. Just Between Friends Franchise Systems Inc. also received a "Franchisee Satisfaction Award" and was named in the Top 50 franchises by "Franchise Business Review". In 2010, Wilburn was named the Small Business Administration's "Women in Business Champion" for Tulsa and was part of the Tulsa Business Journal's 40 under 40. JBF has been featured on numerous national television shows including CBS Early Show, ABC News, Good Morning America, CNN, Headline News, Fox News, Inside Edition, CNBC's The Big Idea and on http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.sheknows.com and Disney website http://www.family.com.

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