SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian's latest data and forecasts concerning online search activity, email volume and consumer behavior for Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the 2010 holiday season overall can help marketers better understand where their customers are searching and shopping. This predictive knowledge will help companies strategize more effectively for strong holiday sales.

Key findings include:

    --  Overall email volumes will be higher in 2009 than they were in 2008 but
        will likely increase at a slower rate. Analysis of the most current
        email data suggests an expected 30 percent increase in volume on Black
        Friday and Cyber Monday over last year -- highly dependent on how strong
        sales are by the end of November.
    --  Online searches including the term "Black Friday" in the query have
        increased over the past three years. Combinations using the term
        increased 41 percent year-over-year to reach 7,822 during the spike for
        "Black Friday" searches in 2007.

    --  Consumers will start shopping online a few weeks prior to Black Friday,
        the official start of the shopping season. In 2008, when Thanksgiving
        fell in late November, purchase activity occurred earlier -- several
        weeks prior to Black Friday. In fact, between the weeks ending Nov. 3
        and Nov. 10, 2008, the share of adults who made an online purchase more
        than doubled, increasing from 11 percent to 23 percent.

For more data and forecasts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday consumer activity, search and email, visit http://www.emailresponsibly.com and http://www.ilovedata.com.

About Experian

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2009, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.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:     Jennifer Marshall
                 Experian Public Relations
                 1 224 698 8798
                 jennifer.marshall@experian.com

SOURCE Experian