(Sing this to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”):“There’ll be pushing and shoving
and snatching and sneering. Price hikes, unassembled bikes and young cashiers jeering.
But for-get the
mall…here’s the best way to shop of them all.”
Online shopping has become the
quickest, most convenient way to buy, especially during this, the busiest of shopping
seasons.
So, if you dread sloshing through
what might seem like a gazillion crazed Christmas consumers, slosh no more. Just roll out
of your bed, slip on those awful fuzzy slippers from last year and load your cybershopping
cart.
According to the Direct Marketing
Association, in 1998, e-commerce sites earned $5.9 billion from online shoppers. And, by
the end of this year, we are expected to spend $11 billion shopping online.
So why will so many of us get
wound up in the Web this Christmas?
“Slipping online is much more
convenient than slipping into the car,”says Peggy Carter, spokeswoman for the Sara
Lee Brand and Apparel Corporation in Rural Hall.
Carter says e-commerce sites not
only help customers who want to buy a unique gift, but also retailers who focus on and
sell to a niche market.
Like Sara Lee, which launched the
“Just My Size”product line site in October, exclusively directed to the
plus-size woman.
Although the line can be found in
larger discount stores, like Wal-Mart, or ordered from a catalog, the site allows shoppers
to browse and select from a variety of apparel, lingerie and hosiery at their leisure.
“It’s for women who have
full-time jobs and who might also be a wife and/or mother who are looking for apparel for
their size, style and comfort and convenience,” Carter says.
Greenville-based Overton’s,
the world’s largest watersports dealer, has three showrooms in North Carolina. Along
with the Greenville store, there are stores in Raleigh and Charlotte. Richard Goldberg,
vice president of marketing, says over 300 percent of the company’s month-to-month
profit growth, which translates into 10 to 12 percent of sales, has come from hits on the
e-commerce site that was constructed three years ago.
Overton’s shoppers are mainly
30- to 40-year-old married men who are looking for quality marine and watersports
equipment.
“Research shows that most of
our online business comes in the evenings. It’s convenient because you don’t
need to leave the house,” says the marketing VP, who admits to also being an online
consumer. “You can even shop in the rain.”
The entire product line is on the
e-commerce site which, Goldberg says, is “fast and fun to navigate with good, solid
descriptions and clear photos.”
And it’s easier to comparison
shop online by using a search engine instead of leafing through pages in a catalog and
missing something you might want, he adds.
Purchases made online can be as
simple as purchases made at the mall or any specialty shop.
With a Christmas list and a credit
card, you can buy anything from equestrian clothes at www.backinthesaddle.com, to coffee at www.starbucks.com , to kitchen appliances at www.bettycrocker.com to fine cigars at www.finckcigarcompany.com .
Cybershopping requires providing
personal information for payment and shipping purposes and this, for some people, is cause
for apprehension. But shopping from an online catalog can be just as safe as shopping in a
retail store if it’s done from a secured site.
For instance, if consumers access
the “Just My Size” site from Microsoft Explorer, they should look for a key icon
in one of the corners of the screen. If they key is solid, the site is secure; if it is
broken, the site is unsecured and shoppers should not enter personal information. The same
applies to Netscape Navigator, in which case the secured site icon will be a locked
padlock.
After you’ve determined
whether the site is secure and have made your selections and submitted your order, Carter
says an encryption program begins.
“From the moment you view
your shopping cart, our computer sends a code to the receiver’s computer from the
point someone begins keying in,” Carter says. “That information goes into a code
when received on this end. Then, we use a key to undo the encryption and turn it into a
regular order again.”
The DMA also suggests looking for
the URL, or “Web address” when you reach the “checkout page.” If the
URL starts with “http://” it means the document is coming from a secure server.
When the order is complete,
you’ll usually receive a digital confirmation of your order, which should be retained
for your records.
And, with most catalog companies,
delivery usually only takes one to two days. “If you get your order in on our site by
10 p.m. and the merchandise is in stock, it will be shipped the next day,”Carter
says.
So, click away and let cyberSanta
help you enjoy your otherwise busy holidays.
Cybershopping tips
Here are some tips for smart
cybershopping from the Direct Marketing Association’s Shop-at-Home Information
Center.
1. Shop with companies you know.
In addition to Internet-only retailers, you can shop from many of your favorite catalogs
and retail stores on the Web. Check out the DMA’s consumer Web site, www.shopthenet.org , for consumer information and
links to dozens of catalog and Web retailers.
2. Look for special customer
services. Many Web sites have special features such as “personal models” for
selecting apparel, gardening libraries for buying seeds and plants, music clips for
choosing CDs or other information that helps you select a product that fits your needs.
3. Check return policies before
you order. While most companies provide satisfaction guarantees, items such as software or
CDs can be copied and are sometimes not returnable.
4. Pay by credit card. Consumers
have all of the same protections shopping online as they have when shopping in retail
stores or by catalogs. You’ll be covered under the Fair Credit Billing Act in the
event of non-delivery or fraud, whether you are shopping by phone, mail or computer.
5. Use secure sites. Reputable
companies provide secure shopping for their customers. When moving to the checkout section
of a Web site, make sure you see an icon of an unbroken key or locked padlock at the
bottom or top of the screen. Also, the URL should begin with “http:” if you are
shopping on a secure server.
6. Keep organized records. Fill
out the order form even if you’re ordering online. If returning merchandise, fill out
the form completely.
7. Trust your instincts. If it
sounds too good to be true, it usually is. |
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