46% of Retailers Offering Free Shipping in Run-Up to Black Friday

Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) November 25, 2009 -- With Black Friday days away, nearly half of online retailers are offering customers free shipping according to new data published by Istobe, a developer ofeCommerce recommendation engine (http://istobe.com) software. The data is part of an ongoing study of over 500 retailers that tracks the dynamics of free shipping promotions throughout the holiday season.

The adoption of free shipping promotions varies widely by retail category. About 85% of retailers specializing in office products and 73% of jewelry and accessories retailers offer free shipping, with or without conditions. In contrast, only 20% of food and gifts retailers are offering some type of free shipping.

Across all retail categories, the number of merchants offering free shipping with no minimum purchase conditions has increased by 50% in the last week.

"The stakes are simply too high for many retailers this season to appear as the lone hold out when it comes to free shipping," said Istobe CEO Doug Bright. "Many retailers in highly competitive categories feel they have choice but to offer free shipping this time of year in order to maintain market share."

For the 167 retailers in the survey requiring a minimum purchase to qualify for free shipping, the median minimum order value has remained steady at $75 for the period of the study.

The complete free shipping list (http://istobe.com/free-shipping.html) and analysis is available for free at http://istobe.com/free-shipping.html.

###

Comment on "46% of Retailers Offering Free Shipping in Run-Up to Black Friday"