Starting today, Walmart.com is offering free shipping on gift items, including toys and gadgets.
The move will pressure other online retailers operating on already razor thin margins. Several mom and pop .com’s could go out of business, vaporizing the individual character and unique charm of small online communities across America. Oh wait, it doesn’t work like.
The deal is good until December 20. Walmart says it will not raise prices to cover the cost or pressure its shipping companies to eat the costs. Over 60,000 products will get free shipping, including, hopefully, skull shirts.
Wal-Mart Says ‘Try This On’: Free Shipping [NYT]
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Amazon has its Prime membership (free for those with .edu emails) that has free 2-day shipping on many, many items. I wouldn’t be surprised for them to extend this to be free shipping from any of their vendors, although not the 2-day variety…
I tried buying a pen at Walmart.com. The article says it starts Thursday. Its $.97 cents to ship to home.
Hmmm. May take advantage of this as I like Walmart’s prices on some things but refuse to ever go into the store.
i can see someone despising Walmart for their business practices and labor relations — but buying online to avoid what? The community?
The people. The parking lot. The dirt. The stress.
The prices on their items are not amazing enough in any way for me to put up with that or drive far enough away to find a newer decent one.
xanax
I can finally get that pack of gum I have been longing for but didn’t want to drive for.
No, they won’t pressure the shipping companies to eat the cost. They’ll pressure their vendors. Walmart surely doesn’t pay the shipping difference.
A large company like Walmart has shipping contracts. They probably pay a flat rate to ship as much as they want. They don’t pay per item like you do when you want to ship something yourself.
Ok, someone explain the “Skull Shirt” reference.. the link is not helping…
oh nvm.. I figured it out..
A few Christmases ago I gave walmart.com a try. Promised 3 day shipping. Arrived late by 7 days, arrived in a fully intact box, but the inner package looked like it was run through a steamroller, absolutely no packaging on the inside. Sent a complaint out, didn’t get any response back, not even an apology.
Pretty much what I expected.
Sounds like you only considering shipping time. You always have to factor in fulfillment time and that you’ll only see action on business days (this is what shipment time is measured in from the day it has shipped).