Leverage Free Shipping and Customer Service to Maximize Online Revenues This Holiday Season

The challenge for retailers is determining how to capture holiday sales profitably. Two findings from the survey indicate areas of opportunity:

1. Twenty-eight percent of consumers said they're willing to pay full price for gifts if retailers offer excellent customer service coupled with the availability of the right products.
2. The primary reason consumers shop online is convenience, but 62 percent of respondents also indicated that high shipping costs remain a barrier to purchase.

Let’s tackle free shipping first. We know that free shipping offers do work, but they must be implemented thoughtfully to reduce impacting profitability.