Over 100 merchants have agreed to participate in the Free Shipping Day on Thursday, December 18th.
For holiday shopping procrastinators, this is your chance to purchase gifts from online retailers with free shipping and guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve.
For merchants, this is your chance to acquire new sales from shoppers who normally would worry about receiving their packages in time for Christmas.
So what do merchants stand to gain from participating in a promotion such as this? Simply put…much needed sales.
In 2007 online shopping peaked on December 10 with $881 million in sales, while the heaviest spending period for consumers is the week before and the week after Christmas.
There is no reason that online shopping needs to peak 15 days before Christmas when the majority of holiday shopping dollars are spent so much closer to Christmas. Let’s face it, we are a country of procrastinators.
So for all of you last minute shoppers who dread fighting the crowds in the busy stores, why not shop from the comfort of your own home? The Free Shipping Day website keeps an up to date list of merchant links so you can easily browse the hundreds of sites listed.
Great idea and service! I buy books from an online bookshop in Sweden that has free shipping as a standard option nowadays. You pay extra if you want “green” shipping or express delivery.
I wish you a commercial X-mas and a prosperous New Year! I have updated my wish list for 2009…
Oh Wow. Free Shipping website!
Btw Martin, what do you mean by “green” shipping?
Rose,
It is called “climate neutral shipping environmental”. You have to pay extra SEK 10 and they guarantee that the transport is going in a special environmentally “friendly” way. I don’t buy into this stuff and I could wait one more day and get free shipping instead. I wonder how it is working logistically with the so-called “green” transport. Is it not a paradox that the tree huggers like to read books made by paper from trees?
Actually, lots more than 100 merchants are participating. Those are the big stores, but lots of smaller retailers and shops have gotten on board too, many of them here – http://cheaptweet.com/search?q=free+shipping
I heard about this for the first time today . . .fantastic idea!