Free Shipping Garners More In Sales

By moneygodmother

Free shipping.

It’s one of consumers’ favorite holiday promotions. And, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) recent survey, 9 out of 10 retailers plan to tap that craving. If shipping is free, it appears about 36% of us will spend more online. So retailers are also boosting their online presence to gain favor with consumers who are  shopping more online.

To that end, the survey reveals that consumers will use social media to get information about sales and promotions–about 29% will check a retailer’s Facebook page, and about 65% will read customer reviews on the company website.

So many more retailers–51%–said they have invested significantly in optimizing their websites, and 35.3% are using QR codes in offline advertising, such as magazines. Nearly 75% beefed up Facebook and Twitter accounts in advance of the holiday rush, according to the NRF survey of 1,685 consumers conducted by BIGresearch.

According to Pam Goodfellow, Consumer Insights Director, BIGresearch, “These days, most people want to shop around all season long, using their smartphones to scan items in stores and compare prices, retailers’ websites to find store locations to scope out gift ideas, and tablets or laptops to shop from the convenience of their home.”

(NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing all types and sizes, including chain restaurants in the U.S. and more than 45 countries.)