Holiday Special Offers: How Effective Are They?

The report also revealed the percentage of merchants that used various promotions, as well the merchants’ ratings of the effectiveness of those promotions on a scale of 1 to 5. Below are the findings.

* 79 percent of online merchants offered free shipping with conditions, carrying an effectiveness rating of 4.3;
* 59 percent tried online-only sales, with a rating of 3.9;
* 48 percent used free shipping with product upgrades, with a rating of 4;
* 39 percent employed sales offered both offline and online, with a rating of 4.2;
* 30 percent offered a loyalty program, with a rating of 3.5; and
* 25 percent gave their customers unconditional free shipping, with a rating of 4.5.