When Returning Products Demonstrates Confidence

Cyber Monday is coming back.  Only this time, it’s a Thursday.

Maybe you burnt a bridge with someone who you purchased a gift for, maybe whatever you ordered no longer fits because in addition to layering your clothes for cold weather, you’ve also been layering your meals with a block of cheddar cheese…or maybe you just flat out purchased in haste and made a mistake.  Whatever the reason, ‘Boomerang Thursday’ is in recognition of your mistakes.

Yesterday Bizreport.com announced that one in 20 people who purchased gifts on or around Cyber Monday expect to return at least one of their purchases prior to the Christmas holiday.  This coming Thursday, December 9th, is typically the kickoff day for those returns.  Hence the apropos ‘Boomerang Thursday.’

The high number of returns is no cause for alarm though, it actually demonstrates increased consumer confidence in online retailers’ ability to have consumers’ replacement items in stock and ready to be delivered prior to Christmas.  But just like Ebenezer Scrooge, your holiday mistakes could come back to bite you.  With wintry weather and the holiday season comes increased delivery time expectations as well as a high volume of consumers who may have made the same kinds of ordering mistakes you did (minus the gluttonous layering of cheese).

That being said, if you think that you may end up having to return a product that you ordered recently, it’s best to look for a retailer that has an easy to understand and clearly outlined returns policy.  It may also be best to look for one with free return shipping and affordable, speedy delivery rates.  If you’re on the lookout for retailers with excellent shipping and delivery policies and practices just in time for the holidays, look no further than our Holiday Guide.  These retailer’s policies will leave you so pleased that you’ll be returning from whence you came, just like…a planet in orbit?  a dog playing fetch?  a sailor returning to port?  Either way, you get the idea.

It’s Still Okay to Buy CD’s…Online

If you’re like most people with a connection to the internet, you probably don’t buy compact discs anymore, but you still enjoy listening to music (that you’ve sometimes paid for).

While buying digital music has its advantages;  instantaneous ownership as well as listening and the ability to select your favorite songs from an album piecemeal, buying used CDs over the internet has its own set of distinct advantages.

So while spending my Sunday like a typical American, looking for obscure mid-nineties drum n’ bass music, I realized how much more value I could get from buying the music I wanted in a used CD format rather than in MP3 format.  Not only was the music I was looking for not available on any online MP3 retailers, but a new version of the CD would have cost me nearly $30.  I managed to find the album I was looking for at the measly cost of $1.56.  That’s almost free, but $1.56 more.  With shipping I reached a total of $4.56.

While this strategy works particularly well for obscure music that people are looking to get off their hands, it also works for hit albums from anything as recent as even four months ago.   Take for instance Lady Gaga’s ‘The Fame Monster’ which was released in November of 2009 and still resides at number 27 on The Billboard 200 list.  You can get a used copy of the Fame Monster and listen to ‘Alejandro’ until your ears bleed for only $6.75.  It would cost $7.99 to download the entire album off of iTunes and while the cost may be close, you can’t load the songs onto all of your computers (work, home, etc.) like you could if you were ripping a CD.

Whether you have robot ears and are searching for a electronic blast from the past or want the year’s most popular hit albums, there’s a lot of value to be had from purchasing albums online.

One of the preeminent online retailers of used CDs is Amazon.com, who earned a STELLAService elite seal earlier this year.  Others include but are not limited to:

www.musicstack.com

www.spun.com

www.ebay.com

The Impact of Virtual Reality-How Department Stores Are Responding to Their Online-Only Competitors

With the e-commerce market steadily on the rise, traditional brick and mortar stores have realized they need to rethink their business strategies to further incorporate their e-commerce platforms. One of the greatest advantages virtual outlets hold over classic department stores is their ability to guarantee a wider selection of brands, products, colors and sizes always in stock for the customer. While department stores have acknowledged it is impossible for them to offer such a diverse variety in each individual store, some have made great efforts to gap the bridge between their inventory and the customer.

The J.Crew "Red Phone"

J.Crew for example has had the “Red Phone” for years. In every store, tucked away on a blonde wooden table with a catalogue and a pencil was this phone. If the exact item you wanted wasn’t available in the store, the “Red Phone” immediately connected you with a CSR who helped you locate your desired purchase and send it to your house for free. (Remember, free shipping was a shocking upgrade back then!)

However wonderful the “Red Phone” might seem, it still required you to awkwardly stand in the middle of the store for several minutes listing off item numbers, phone numbers, credit card digits and addresses to finalize your transaction. Macy’s recently tried to cut out a few of these steps with their new high-tech cash registers that automatically fine-tooth their inventory for the customer’s convenience and the cashier can make the purchase for you. This eliminates a great deal of effort for the shopper, but is it enough to beat the online bazaar?

An online kiosk at Kohl's allows customers to locate a product at Kohl's stores across the country

The latest answer to the call of technology for department stores has been the “online kiosk.” These tall booths have recently been revealed in chain stores such as JCPenney and Kohl’s. When these stores can’t provide the customer with exactly what they need, instead of directing them to “check online” from their home computers, they can lead them to the kiosk! These kiosks search the chain’s website directly and let the customer make a purchase right then and there. Another win for department stores!

Phones, cash registers and kiosks are all great tools in the battle for business, but in the long run…can they really out-do a three-click-purchase from your living room (with free overnight shipping)?

This Site Is Going To Be Huge. Soap.com-Short Name, Big Service

Please excuse the declaratory, non-crafty title, but I have a feeling that come July, consumers will change the ways they buy everyday essentials, from eye makeup to E vitamins to envelopes. Alliteration aside, a press release issued today from MarketWire claims that the launch of Soap.com is going to be “one of the biggest launches in retail history.” From the founders of Diapers.com, (currently the #2 site for Elite Customer Service by STELLAService), Soap.com aims to make life easier for consumers by being a one-stop shop for items people need on an everyday basis but for which they don’t want to always travel, wait, or lug home.

No longer will you have to lug home and purchase in bulk for inexpensive everyday products

What makes Soap.com different from Walmart.com, Target.com, or other online drugstores? The release states that “the average offline drugstore has just 10,000 items. Soap.com will offer more than 40,000 products by the end of 2010 and 100,000 by the end of 2011.” Further, akin to the excellent customer service at Diapers.com, Soap.com will have free next-day delivery for two-thirds of the country and within two days for the rest. Further, the site promises to have prices up to 25% less than what you pay at a normal drugstore.

Soap.com's logo, making sleek use of "white space" in the "A"

Given the money saved in travel and competitive pricing, I predict some people may cancel their Costco, Sams Club, and other buy-in-bulk memberships. With free and fast shipping of everyday products to your door, it is like the FreshDirect of online drugstores, but without the minimum purchase requirement. The only caveat? You may have to do a few more reps at the gym for the heavy products you no longer have to carry.

The full press release can be viewed here.