Jae C. Hong/Associated PressA FedEx plane is unloaded in Los Angeles.
Free shipping has become a necessary evil for online retailers, and this year many are extending their free shipping cut-off dates for Christmas gifts.
Nine out of 10 online retailers will offer free shipping at some point this holiday season, and many retailers will extend the offer through Dec. 20, according to Shop.org, part of the National Retail Federation. Eighty-six percent of those offering free overnight or two-day shipping have extended those offers to Dec. 22.
For many retailers, the last day for free shipping by Christmas Eve — called Free Shipping Day — had been Friday, Dec. 16. For others, it was Monday, Dec. 12, called Green Monday. Free Shipping Day used to be the biggest online shopping day of the year until Cyber Monday outdid it.
But a third of online holiday shoppers say they will spend more if shipping is free, according to Shop.org, and retailers are paying attention. Fifty-six percent of e-commerce companies said their budget for free shipping promotions was significantly higher than it was last year.
“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,” Vicki Cantrell, executive director of Shop.org, said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Amazon.com announced that it extended its deadline for free shipping in time for Christmas on orders $25 and higher to Dec. 19. Amazon Prime members, who pay an annual fee of $79, get free Christmas shipping through Dec. 21. And for the true procrastinators, items ordered on Dec. 24 will be delivered the same day for $3.99 for Prime members in certain cities, including Boston, Chicago, New York, Seattle and Washington.
At Zappos.com this season, gift buyers who order on Dec. 22 will receive free overnight delivery on Dec. 23. Zappos is promoting its offer on Twitter with a campaign called 12 Days of Zappos. Each day through Dec. 23, it will give a free gift to someone who writes a Twitter post about it.
“Zappos considers itself anti-Green Monday because free shipping both ways, 365 days a year is the norm — even during the busiest shopping season,” the company said in a statement.
Blue Nile, the online jeweler, is offer free FedEx shipping in time for Christmas on most jewelry through Dec. 23, though the company originally thought that day would be Dec. 19.
“Your biggest day is going to be the last day you can ship and have it arrive in time for the holidays,” said Mark Vadon, chairman of Blue Nile.
Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=122bcd52a73aed4bd415bacb46051767
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