Procrastinators, Take Note: Most Standard Shipping Deadlines for Christmas Delivery Extended to December 20
Washington, December 13, 2011 – Thanks to a calendar shift, procrastinators this holiday season will have a few more days to think about finding the perfect gift before buying online. According to Shop.org’s eHoliday Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, eight in 10 (87.0%) retailers’ standard shipping deadlines for Christmas delivery will expire before or on Tuesday, December 20. Additionally, shoppers will have the added advantage of shopping online as late as December 23 as 5.3 percent of retailers say they will offer upgraded expedited shipping promotions up through that date.
“Aiming to deliver unbeatable value and remain top of mind until the last possible minute, retailers will continue to update their websites and best utilize their mobile apps to attract those who still need to wrap up their holiday shopping in the coming weeks,” said Shop.org Executive Director Vicki Cantrell. “As consumers shop around for the perfect gifts, express and standard free shipping offers could be the deciding factor for many procrastinators this holiday season.
The survey also found 94.6 percent of retailers’ free standard shipping promotions will expire on or before December 20. For those who miss the free standard shipping deadlines, there will still be plenty of expedited shipping offers from select retailers. According to the survey, extreme procrastinators will have until December 22 when 86.4 percent of companies’ free expedited shipping promotions expire.
Another 22.0 percent of digital retailers will offer express two-day shipping options for guaranteed Christmas delivery through December 22, and three in 10 (30.0%) will offer overnight express shipping through December 23 for guaranteed Christmas delivery.
According to Shop.org’s eHoliday survey, nine in 10 online retailers (92.5%) will offer free shipping at some point during the holiday season, and more than half (56.3%) say their budget for free shipping promotions specifically is somewhat or significantly higher than last year. Well aware they may not have to pay for shipping for many of their purchases, more than one-third (36.3%) of holiday shoppers say they are likely to spend more online this holiday season if shipping comes free.
“As Christmas Day draws near, those with gifts yet to buy – and budgets to manage – will find that free shipping offers with guaranteed delivery will be hard to pass up,” said BIGresearch Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “Many last minute shoppers will seek out deals through various channels, including coupon websites, special emails from retailers as well as weekend circulars and advertisements.”
Shop.org’s website, CyberMonday.com, maintains a free shipping section with a list of retailers still offering the popular promotions for delivery by Christmas.
About the Study
The eHoliday Study, now in its tenth year, provides an authoritative snapshot of the holiday activities of both large and small online retailers, many of which have been in business for at least ten years, and also includes the sentiments of online holiday shoppers. The Study, conducted by BIGresearch for Shop.org, surveyed 3,446 consumers between September 19 – October 7, 2011, and 51 online retailers from September 22 – October 14, 2011.
BIGresearch® consumer intelligence provides analysis of behavior in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive and media. The Consumer Intentions and Actions® Survey (CIA®) of 8,000+ respondents is conducted monthly and the Simultaneous Media Usage® Survey (SIMM®) of 15,000+ respondents is conducted semi-annually.
Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, is the world's leading membership community for digital retail. Founded in 1996, Shop.org's 600 members include the 10 largest retailers in the U.S. and more than 60 percent of the Internet Retailer Top 100 E-Retailers. It's where the best retail minds come together to gain the insight, knowledge and intelligence to make smarter, more informed decisions in the evolving world of the Internet and multichannel retailing. Shop.org programs and activities include benchmarking research, events and networking communities.
“Aiming to deliver unbeatable value and remain top of mind until the last possible minute, retailers will continue to update their websites and best utilize their mobile apps to attract those who still need to wrap up their holiday shopping in the coming weeks,” said Shop.org Executive Director Vicki Cantrell. “As consumers shop around for the perfect gifts, express and standard free shipping offers could be the deciding factor for many procrastinators this holiday season.
The survey also found 94.6 percent of retailers’ free standard shipping promotions will expire on or before December 20. For those who miss the free standard shipping deadlines, there will still be plenty of expedited shipping offers from select retailers. According to the survey, extreme procrastinators will have until December 22 when 86.4 percent of companies’ free expedited shipping promotions expire.
Another 22.0 percent of digital retailers will offer express two-day shipping options for guaranteed Christmas delivery through December 22, and three in 10 (30.0%) will offer overnight express shipping through December 23 for guaranteed Christmas delivery.
According to Shop.org’s eHoliday survey, nine in 10 online retailers (92.5%) will offer free shipping at some point during the holiday season, and more than half (56.3%) say their budget for free shipping promotions specifically is somewhat or significantly higher than last year. Well aware they may not have to pay for shipping for many of their purchases, more than one-third (36.3%) of holiday shoppers say they are likely to spend more online this holiday season if shipping comes free.
“As Christmas Day draws near, those with gifts yet to buy – and budgets to manage – will find that free shipping offers with guaranteed delivery will be hard to pass up,” said BIGresearch Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “Many last minute shoppers will seek out deals through various channels, including coupon websites, special emails from retailers as well as weekend circulars and advertisements.”
Shop.org’s website, CyberMonday.com, maintains a free shipping section with a list of retailers still offering the popular promotions for delivery by Christmas.
About the Study
The eHoliday Study, now in its tenth year, provides an authoritative snapshot of the holiday activities of both large and small online retailers, many of which have been in business for at least ten years, and also includes the sentiments of online holiday shoppers. The Study, conducted by BIGresearch for Shop.org, surveyed 3,446 consumers between September 19 – October 7, 2011, and 51 online retailers from September 22 – October 14, 2011.
BIGresearch® consumer intelligence provides analysis of behavior in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive and media. The Consumer Intentions and Actions® Survey (CIA®) of 8,000+ respondents is conducted monthly and the Simultaneous Media Usage® Survey (SIMM®) of 15,000+ respondents is conducted semi-annually.
Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, is the world's leading membership community for digital retail. Founded in 1996, Shop.org's 600 members include the 10 largest retailers in the U.S. and more than 60 percent of the Internet Retailer Top 100 E-Retailers. It's where the best retail minds come together to gain the insight, knowledge and intelligence to make smarter, more informed decisions in the evolving world of the Internet and multichannel retailing. Shop.org programs and activities include benchmarking research, events and networking communities.