Today Is The Big Day For Online Sales, One Week Before Ground Shipping Cut Off Dates.

Pfreemanevans | December 11, 2006, 04:41 PM

If last year is any indication, we may see peak online holiday sales volume today. Typically, last Monday and today have been the heaviest sales days for online retailers. Makes sense because next Monday is the most common ground shipping cut off date among retailers, according to a recent Jupiter Research webtrack of 47 top retail websites. But, ground cut off dates start as early as the 14th at some retailers. Though 37 percent of online buyers say they will still buy online after ground deadlines, and that’s a big opportunity, 44 percent say they will not. So now is the time for online retailers to make hay. Only 66 percent of the retailers reviewed posted their shipping cut off dates, and only 17 percent had a link to their deadline information on the home page. Customers may have to dig in the customer service links for the information even if it is not listed on the home page. This lack of disclosure is a little surprising because 55 percent of consumers who say that seeing cut off dates helps them to plan their purchases earlier. Kmart, L.L. Bean and Sears all had nice holiday shipping guide links and clear information. The most common dates for express shipping are: December 20th for two-day, and December 21st for overnight.