Getting Scrooged

Brandweek, Dec 11, 2000 by Becky Ebenkamp

E-tailers have spruced up their sites to prepare for the December deluge, but some areas are still works in progress. Below, some hits and misses observed by Columbus, Ohio-based Resource Marketing while secret shopping the Web.

Bright Spots

* Walmart.com doesn't just want customers to come back, it wants them back before Christmas. To lure shoppers to the site for more stocking stuffers, an e-mail promotion offers $10 off a subsequent holiday purchase of $50.

* KBkids' buying guide suggests toys based on a child's age, creativity, motor skills and education level to help clueless but well-intentioned buyers. The site's teen gaming whiz even unravels the mysteries of the video game world with his software reviews.

* Shoppers who buy gifts from a recipient's wish list at eToys get a 10% discount.

Blind Spots

* Unwrapping the present is half the fun, but 1800flower.com and jewelry e-tailer ice.com don't seem to get this--they don't offer gift-wrapping service. And Crate and Barrel thinks its branded boxes suffice for wrapping paper no matter how banged up they get in delivery.

* Web-only sporting apparel site Iucy.com sells gift certificates online, which can only be redeemed via phone orders. However, Nike.com and BlueLight.com don't even offer e-gift certificates, one of the easiest presents to buy and the best to receive.

* While trying to be helpful, a barnesandnoble.com phone rep warned that items listed as shipping in 1-2 weeks often take more than a month to arrive, even before the holiday rush. This was one of several of the site's problems she said bothered her.

* Are they really sure? Walmart.com's promise that a product "usually ships in 1-2 days" promises very little. But BlueLight.com, which promised holiday delivery of a toy if ordered before Dec. 12, left even more doubt: The item was out of stock before Thanksgiving.