Holiday Online Sales to Soar
According to Forester Research, this upcoming holiday season promises to be joyful for online retailers.
This latest survey, published yesterday, points to the likelihood that online sales this holiday will increase by as much as 25% over last season. Forester reports that, apart from a healthy consumer confidence index, the main factor for this is simply that more people will be shopping online than ever before and that many of them have shed their reservations about making purchases onlline.
The key conversion strategy for this onslaught of shoppers? Free shipping.
Most retailers plan to capitalize on this upcoming surge in shopping by offering free shipping for every purchase on their site. According to the report, free shipping is a proven strategy for converting many potential customers who still do not want to pay fees not associated with an in-store purchase. "Free shipping is the thing this year. All the major retailers will be offering it and it's going to make a profitable difference in their bottom line."