As has been the case over the course the last year, more and more well-known retailers are giving shoppers the ability to buy merchandise online then head to the store, where the item will be waiting for pick-up. According to the National Retail Federation, perhaps as many as 14 million consumers will try to beat the holiday crowds by buying online and picking up items in a retail store this holiday season. A list of retailers that offered the “buy online, pick up in-store” option was posted at www.cybermonday.com last year, a website launched last holiday season by NRF division Shop.org and powered by Mall Networks. The group is planning a similar set-up for the holiday rush this year as well.
“By purchasing items online and picking them up in a retail store, holiday procrastinators are able to partner convenience with instant gratification,” said Shop.org Executive Director Scott Silverman. “Up until Christmas Eve, shoppers will be browsing and buying from the comfort of their home before getting in their car to pick up the perfect gift. The only potential glitch is that they will still have to find parking.”
Offering a “buy online, pick up in-store” feature not only adds convenience to the customer, it also makes business sense for retailers. According to the 2006 State of Retailing Online, an annual Shop.org study conducted by Forrester Research, online retailers with a “buy online, pick up in-store” feature say that an average of one third of orders (31%) placed on their websites are picked up in the store. Additionally, according to the report, more than one-fourth of those shoppers (27%) make additional in-store purchases, which boosts overall sales.
In addition to providing a list of retailers that offer a “buy online, pick up in-store” feature, CyberMonday.com will also feature a gift card section, where more than 30 retailers will offer links for quick purchase of gift cards and e-certificates. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend in excess of $25 billion on gift cards this holiday season.
Last year comScore Media Metrix, a Reston, Va.-based company that tracks Internet activity, reported that CyberMonday.com had 505,000 unique U.S. visitors in the month of November (2006), an especially impressive amount considering that the site did not launch until November 20, 2006.
