Shopping for gifts during the holiday season can be stressful and not too
"merry." First, you have to decide who you want to buy for, and what to buy. Then you have to make room in your budget for gift buying. Finally, you have to find time to do this extra shopping while
balancing work and other responsibilities. The holiday season is stressful enough already!
Once again, the Web has come to the rescue. There are innumerous sites on the web that have made this season the season of the e-shopper. It has been predicted that the number of online shoppers this holiday season will at least double, and probably triple over last year, with estimated sales of between
12 and 15 billion dollars.
Apparently the typical online shoppers are middle-income married women with children, according to
Ernst and Young LLP, a top research firm.
The most popular online items purchased include computer items, CDs, books, toys, and videos.
The Ernst and Young study also found that online shoppers like shopping online
because it saves
time and is convenient.
The malls have become too crowded, and traffic is too much of a nuisance for the typical online buyer. It is convenient and pleasant to be able to shop from the comfort of your home, 24 hours a day. You don't have to worry about finding a parking spot, store hours, lines, or traffic jams.
Online shopping has evolved by leaps and bounds since its shaky beginnings within the last year or two. Now you can
browse online catalogs, get detailed product information, make wish lists, and use gift registries,
and buy or use gift certificates and coupons. This is a far cry over last year when
online vendors were rushing to get products online and trying to put secure and efficient programs in place to
accommodate online shopping.
Some online vendors have had continued problems with inventory control, shipping, customer service, and access. In early November,
Toys R Us had to turn away online customers when their site traffic
shot up over 1000% following an aggressive marketing campaign. That accounts to lost revenue and customers that may never return. In addition, five of 100 America Online affiliated retail sights were overwhelmed during last year's holiday season, failing to keep up with e-mail and customer orders.
After last year, many of the biggest online retailers are more than prepared for the shopping onslaught. Most have tested site access repeatedly to make sure their servers won't be overwhelmed. Many sites work closely with Federal Express and UPS to make sure orders are getting where they need to go
on time. Most sites are saying that orders made on or before the 17th of December will most likely arrive in time for the holidays.
Other retailers are contracting out some of their customer service. Commercial software is available specifically to assist e-commerce sites in answering e-mail, assisting with Frequently Asked Questions, and facilitating online chats to communicate with customers.
For those who believe in Santa Claus, Extempo Systems
offers an interactive Santa program for e-commerce sites. Extempo
has created several customized Santas for online vendors.
Users can "chat" with Santa, or have Santa give them a virtual tour of the website. Video game giant
Sega is a user of the virtual
Santa, who can chat about his personal life, or about Sega products.
Where to go for online shopping?
For a good overall guide to online holiday shopping, go to XmasGuide.com.
You've probably heard about Amazon.com, a leader in e-commerce. Here, you can buy books, music, videos, and more. Close on
its tail is the
Barnes & Noble site, also specializing
in books, music, and video.
Reel.com has a huge selection of movies and DVDs.
CD Now is a top music retailer on the net.
Popular sites that traffic in toys include Etoys,
Toys R Us, and KB Toys.
There are even online malls. Check out Buy.com and
Imall.com.
Can't decide what to get? Go to the Ultimate Gift Guide, and they'll help you pick something out.
Della.com will also give gift suggestions, and will allow you to create your own gift wish list. The same goes for
Wishlist.com.
Still can't find that unique gift? Then send meat! The Sam Hausen Meat Packer
allows users to send holiday gifts of authentic Texas steaks. Don't forget other "meat related" gift options
available here as well!
So, as you can see, the online shopping possibilities for the holidays are endless. We've only scratched the surface here. Many well-known department stores have their own sites, as do just as many smaller "mom and pop" vendors. E-shopping is the
shopping of the future.
Enjoy your virtual holidays!
Click here for tips on
avoiding problems when shopping online.
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Happy E-Holidays!