Online shopping trends
New ways to save time and find the absolute greatest deals
Illustration by Katy Dockrill
Shopping online for hours on end can leave you bug-eyed. But how else can you be sure you’re getting the choicest stuff at
the best prices? These tools will make it easier to cut through the clutter and find the real deals.
Store pickups
Picking up your stuff at the store instead of having it mailed to your door can save you a bundle on shipping fees, especially on larger items. For example, if you order a 70-pound kayak at REI.com, you’ll pay $125 for shipping. Have it sent to your local store and you pay nada. At WalMart.com, shipping a Storkcraft Aspen Crib to your home costs $69.97, but zero if you pick it up at the store. (Wal-Mart says shoppers have collectively saved $5 million in shipping fees since it started offering in-store pickup.) Another good reason to use in-store pickup: You’ll have a lot more choices. When we looked for cribs at a local Wal-Mart, we found three on the sales floor, but the Web site listed more than 90, most of which could be picked up at a store after submitting an online order.
Not all sites with physical stores allow in-store pickup, however. Target.com and BarnesandNoble.com don’t, for example. And other stores, such as Best Buy, offer pickup only for items in stock. But a growing number of retailers are getting on board.
Tip: Make sure the savings are worth the trip. To pick up a DVD set we found at Best Buy, we would have had to drive 44 miles and would’ve saved just $1.99.
Better user reviews
New sites that gather reviews from all over the Web are making it a lot easier to get a good read on what other people think of a product, be it a camera or a pair of slippers. Wize.com, for example, compiles data on a million and a half reviews from regular consumers as well as journalists on magazines and blogs, and ranks items based on the input. Buzzillions.com sorts consolidated reviews by “tags,” or popular keywords. Say you’re looking for sneakers. You can refine your search with the words “cute” and “breathable” to help find exactly the pair you want.
Another development is how brutally honest user reviews have become--even on retailers’ own sites. At FairIndigo.com, for example, we found shoppers griping that a $79 twill jacket looked “football playerish.” Ouch. Why would retailers let customers diss their merchandise? Research shows that consumers prefer sites that have customer reviews and ratings, and that reviews build a sense of community and enhance customer loyalty, according to Maris Daugherty, a senior consultant with the J.C. Williams Group in Chicago. All that ultimately translates into higher sales.
Tip: If you like sites like MySpace and YouTube, try Kaboodle.com, which mixes social networking with shopping. You can post your profile, get product opinions from people with similar tastes, and recommend and discuss products you like.
Shopping by cell
Peering at products on a screen the size of a sugar packet is hardly an ideal way to shop. But your cell phone is great for doing a quick price check. Say you’re in a store looking at big-screen TVs and the salesperson is offering what seems like a can’t-pass-it-up deal. You could step outside, punch up a shopping-comparison site on your cell phone, and check to see if you can get the TV cheaper elsewhere. (ShopSmart offers a service that delivers Consumer Reports ratings and costs $3.99 a month. To subscribe, text CRSHOP to 55655 for ShopSmart Mobile.) Or you can check out cool shopping tools designed specifically for phones. Frucall lets you call a toll-free number (888-DO-FRUCALL) and enter a product’s 12-digit bar code. The voice service will then tell you the best prices for the item. Amazon.com offers a “1-click” mobile-phone service. Once you set up your account, when you order on your cell, your preferred shipping address and credit-card number will already be keyed in. And PayPal recently rolled out PayPal Mobile. If you see a “text to buy” code in an ad, send the product code listed to the number posted, and PayPal will call or text you back to confirm your order.
Another new service is Slifter. You punch in product info and your ZIP code and it will point you to the nearest stores and give you the prices they’re charging. (Right now, Slifter is focused on electronics and sporting goods.)
Tip: Several search engines will scale down Web pages to fit your phone’s screen. Go to www.google.com/mobile or mobile.aol.com, or mobile.yahoo.com.
Learn more about online shopping in the October/November issue of ShopSmart, available now! Can't find ShopSmart in your local bookstore? Order it online or call our toll-free number to get your copy now.
| Trend |
Picking up your stuff at the store instead of having it mailed to your door can save you a bundle on shipping fees, especially on larger items. For example, if you order a 70-pound kayak at REI.com, you’ll pay $125 for shipping. Have it sent to your local store and you pay nada. At WalMart.com, shipping a Storkcraft Aspen Crib to your home costs $69.97, but zero if you pick it up at the store. (Wal-Mart says shoppers have collectively saved $5 million in shipping fees since it started offering in-store pickup.) Another good reason to use in-store pickup: You’ll have a lot more choices. When we looked for cribs at a local Wal-Mart, we found three on the sales floor, but the Web site listed more than 90, most of which could be picked up at a store after submitting an online order.
Not all sites with physical stores allow in-store pickup, however. Target.com and BarnesandNoble.com don’t, for example. And other stores, such as Best Buy, offer pickup only for items in stock. But a growing number of retailers are getting on board.
Tip: Make sure the savings are worth the trip. To pick up a DVD set we found at Best Buy, we would have had to drive 44 miles and would’ve saved just $1.99.
| Trend |
New sites that gather reviews from all over the Web are making it a lot easier to get a good read on what other people think of a product, be it a camera or a pair of slippers. Wize.com, for example, compiles data on a million and a half reviews from regular consumers as well as journalists on magazines and blogs, and ranks items based on the input. Buzzillions.com sorts consolidated reviews by “tags,” or popular keywords. Say you’re looking for sneakers. You can refine your search with the words “cute” and “breathable” to help find exactly the pair you want.
Another development is how brutally honest user reviews have become--even on retailers’ own sites. At FairIndigo.com, for example, we found shoppers griping that a $79 twill jacket looked “football playerish.” Ouch. Why would retailers let customers diss their merchandise? Research shows that consumers prefer sites that have customer reviews and ratings, and that reviews build a sense of community and enhance customer loyalty, according to Maris Daugherty, a senior consultant with the J.C. Williams Group in Chicago. All that ultimately translates into higher sales.
Tip: If you like sites like MySpace and YouTube, try Kaboodle.com, which mixes social networking with shopping. You can post your profile, get product opinions from people with similar tastes, and recommend and discuss products you like.
| Trend |
Peering at products on a screen the size of a sugar packet is hardly an ideal way to shop. But your cell phone is great for doing a quick price check. Say you’re in a store looking at big-screen TVs and the salesperson is offering what seems like a can’t-pass-it-up deal. You could step outside, punch up a shopping-comparison site on your cell phone, and check to see if you can get the TV cheaper elsewhere. (ShopSmart offers a service that delivers Consumer Reports ratings and costs $3.99 a month. To subscribe, text CRSHOP to 55655 for ShopSmart Mobile.) Or you can check out cool shopping tools designed specifically for phones. Frucall lets you call a toll-free number (888-DO-FRUCALL) and enter a product’s 12-digit bar code. The voice service will then tell you the best prices for the item. Amazon.com offers a “1-click” mobile-phone service. Once you set up your account, when you order on your cell, your preferred shipping address and credit-card number will already be keyed in. And PayPal recently rolled out PayPal Mobile. If you see a “text to buy” code in an ad, send the product code listed to the number posted, and PayPal will call or text you back to confirm your order.
Another new service is Slifter. You punch in product info and your ZIP code and it will point you to the nearest stores and give you the prices they’re charging. (Right now, Slifter is focused on electronics and sporting goods.)
Tip: Several search engines will scale down Web pages to fit your phone’s screen. Go to www.google.com/mobile or mobile.aol.com, or mobile.yahoo.com.
Learn more about online shopping in the October/November issue of ShopSmart, available now! Can't find ShopSmart in your local bookstore? Order it online or call our toll-free number to get your copy now.
| Click any of the links below for a selection of articles from the October/November 2007 issue of ShopSmart;) Editor's Letter Greetings from ShopSmart Editor-in-Chief Lisa Lee Freeman In the bag Paper or plastic? Choose neither! Tote your own cloth bag. 9 tips for finding a great-fitting shoe Follow these steps so you can treat your feet to a supercomfortable pair Design a laundry room that works Make a tiresome chore unboring with our decorating tricks Facial cleanser shopping tips Pick the right cleanser for your skin type Candy calorie countdown How much damage are you really doing with these Halloween treats? Can't find ShopSmart in your local bookstore? Order it online or call our toll-free number to get your copy now. |
