One thing this recession has created is a society of unapologetic penny pinchers. We’re frugal and proud. That’s why we’ve just spruced up Yahoo! Deals, first launched in November, which now features more great bargains, including grocery coupons, local deals, and even the ability to share your dollar-saving discoveries.

Take Yahoo! Search trends, for example. Searches for “printable coupons” on Yahoo! are up 50 percent in 2009, compared to the same time in 2008, and up 135 percent compared to 2007. The most popular coupon-related searches? Coupons for pizza, major retailers and groceries. And while there are signs of economic recovery, our wallets remain cautious. In a recent Yahoo! survey, 43 percent of participants said they’re using coupons more since last year.

In addition to daily deals, weekly electronic circulars, and online coupons from major retailers, here’s what you’ll find on our refreshed site:

• Grocery coupons for all kinds of kitchen staples, provided by Coupons.com
• Coupons for local chain and neighborhood restaurants, retailers and service providers provided by Valpak
• Exclusive deals from new partners including Visa and Next Jump; Ecobunga! and Greenzer (for eco-friendly products); TechBargains.com and LogicBUY (for computers and electronics); plus coupons and deals on a variety of products from CouponAlbum, CouponMountain, BradsDeals.com and Dealnews
• The gas finder module that helps you find the cheapest gas by zip code
• Improved search so you can quickly find deals from across the site
• Video stories on consumer shopping trends and savings tips provided by Inside Edition
• New social features that let you share deals with friends via email and popular social networks, and to save deals for later use
• The ability to post or read comments on each deal

So whether you’re a bona fide cheapskate or just an average Joe riding out the recession, check out deals.yahoo.com to start saving money today!

Greg Hintz
Head of Yahoo! Shopping

Photo from sgrace

That’s why Yahoo! Shopping just launched Yahoo! Deals. When we saw the economy slowing over the last few months, we decided to pull together a site designed to help you save money — just in time for holiday shopping.

Retail isn’t all doom and gloom. While total spending may drop this season as consumers guard their net worth, Forrester Research predicts that online shopping will actually rise 12% over last year, mainly because half of online shoppers anticipate that the best values and deals will be found on the Web. And it goes without saying that they’ll also avoid the stress of crowded malls and long lines when they log on in their pajamas.

Our new Yahoo! Deals site will save you both time and money as you scout the best online and offline bargains. Here’s what you’ll find there:

• Daily Deals – Every day, you’ll find new handpicked deals from partners like Woot!, Amazon, Dell, BradsDeals, and dealnews. You’ll find the Woot! Deal of the Day as well as 24-hour steals in categories like Computers & Electronics, Home & Garden, and Clothing & Accessories.
• Coupons – Find online coupons for thousands of retailers like Macys, the Gap, Land’s End, Nike, Apple, and Toys R Us. And if you’re logged in, you can even save a coupon, so you can use it when you’re ready to get your shopping done.
• Storewide Sales – You’ve probably had a friend who circulates an email every year with all kinds of great discount codes. We’ve basically digitized those emails and collected them in all one place. But we have your friend beat, with more than 700 specials and sales.
• Weekly Ads – If you prefer to shop offline, you’ll want to check out our electronic circulars for retailers near your location before you get in the car. You’ll find retailers like Macy’s, Staples, Target, JCPenney, and Lowe’s. And since you’ll be driving, you might want to use our Cheap Gas Finder to get the best price per gallon in your neighborhood.

So regardless of whether you are turning to online shopping because of the economic crisis, or simply because it’s efficient and hassle-free, Yahoo! Deals arrives at the perfect time. And as an online shopping addict, I’m personally excited about the new treasure trove of gift giving possibilities. Here’s to saving even more time and money as we wrap up 2008.

Greg Hintz
General Manager, Yahoo! Shopping