Quality is beating price. Buyers care less about your discount than you think.

Quality is becoming more important than price to most consumers - the majority rate quality as the most important factor when making purchases compared to price.

Consumer expectations for discounts are falling as an increasing proportion of consumers surveyed said department store discounts had no influence on expectations for discounts across several categories.

As the pendulum swings away from discounts, retailers have an opportunity to capture greater sales through quality products in every category, from apparel to furniture and appliances.