I noticed recently that pretty much the only adverts I ever see on television these days are those awful betting ones in between the football matches that my husband forces me to watch. (Ray Winstone constantly telling me the 'bet in-play odds' is starting to get really annoying, and don't get me started on that Italian guy from the Ladbrokes adverts!).

I don't watch these adverts out of choice but because football is always watched live (in our house anyway) it means we can't fast-forward through the ads like we usually do. Like 50% of UK households we own a digital video recorder and it means that we hardly ever watch live TV anymore. We have even been known to purposely put something on pause for 15 minutes at the start of a programme just so we can skip the ad breaks.

According to Thinkbox, the marketing body for TV advertising, a record more than 10 per cent of TV programmes were viewed on a "time-shifted" basis last year, taking into account both on-demand viewing (BBC iPlayer, 4oD, etc) and digital recordings. The rise in services like LoveFilm and Netflix also mean that fewer people are watching live television.

So, what does this mean for advertisers? As recorded content continues to rise people will increasingly skip through television adverts. One result of this is that we will start to see adverts appear in our on-demand services - but will we be able to skip these as well? Who knows?

Another possible outcome is that companies will start to rely more heavily on other methods of reaching their target audience. For example, online banner advertising, display or good old-fashioned print. I also think this creates an opportunity for companies to integrate alternative marketing strategies such as PR, sponsorship deals, social media or direct mailer campaigns, as they look for more creative, innovative ways to influence their audience.

One thing's for certain, this is definitely not a trend companies can ignore.

@CarolannG_85

Is it just me, or has DFS had a sale on for the past 20 years? Every day one of their adverts forces its way onto my TV, shouting at me to pay attention to the once in a lifetime opportunity to buy the sofa of my dreams. And if the 'amazing sale prices' don't tempt me, I'm shown the different ways I can casually sit on a sofa with a glass of wine, flicking through magazines whilst the man of my dreams is staring lovingly at me...

Sorry, I got carried away.

Seriously though, is this still working? Perhaps I'm being cynical. I mean, we are all obsessed with deals and sales now, perhaps DFS doesn't have a choice?

It's fair to say that the high street (thanks, in part, to the internet) has transformed the way in which we shop. Loyalty is very nearly a thing of the past. What we want now is convenience, speed and, above all, a good price.

Checking my personal email account today for the first time since last week, I was shocked by the amount of voucher emails I appear to have signed up to. Like a moth to a flame, I see a shiny new deal or special offer which asks me to commit an email address which, to me, is a small price to pay in exchange for a 5* spa day, with treatments!

That's right, I'm a self-confessed Groupon groupie. I've been told the first step to recovery is acceptance.

But actually, I'm quite proud of the fact that I'm a savvy deal hunter, always on the lookout for a better deal or attractive offer. Of course, the lure of many of these sites is providing you with you a bit of luxury at an unmissable 'deal' price. But actually it's the everyday essentials I'm finding on sites like HotUKDeals and Voucher Codes which is enabling me to really get the most out of my bargain hunting.

It does make me wonder, though, will we ever pay full price again? Will the new sale prices that we are so often expecting to see, and search for almost daily, become the new RRP?

The excitement of January sales; the once a year phenomenon that traditionally saw the high street and department stores across the country swarmed with shoppers who had especially saved up their hard earned cash in order to treat themselves in the sales, has now gone. Instead it's been replaced with the rush of seeing a deal pop into the inbox, and the excitement of being able to share it with friends, knowing they will love you forever for finding their favourite perfume at a fraction of the price.

So perhaps it's no shame that we have become a nation of voucher vultures. Maybe DFS has it right after all. A year long sale, upon which you can always rely, might actually be putting DFS front of mind when people think about leather or fabric, recliner or corner...

*By soon, of course, I mean never.

Katie