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How to make the Web into Santa's biggest helper

Janet Perna for ZDNet.com AnchorDesk

Published: 07 Dec 2001 16:15 GMT

On the heels of 11 September and a slowing economy, Santa really has his work cut out for him this holiday season. Will shoppers want to shop, and how will they shop?

While we can't answer these questions precisely, it's very likely that shoppers are going to be looking to retailers to make shopping quicker, more convenient and more price-competitive than ever before. Of course, shoppers will also want to avoiding jammed parking lots, crowded stores, unavailable merchandise and long lines at checkout. Simply put, holiday shoppers are going to want it all.

To deliver on this expectation, retailers need to integrate every step of the shopping experience -- from Web browsing, to call centres, to in-store employee contacts and information kiosks. In other words, the debate between online and offline is over. Consumers expect their retailers to offer both options. Current data indicate that online impacts offline sales in a big way: for every dollar spent online, $5.50 is spent offline.

Fully half of all buyers now report shopping online before making purchasing decisions. Consequently, they want multiple ways to shop: to buy online and have the merchandise delivered on-time; to shop online and pick up merchandise at the store, to avoid shipping costs; and to get the same information online as the get in the store and through the call centre.

Here's a checklist of things retailers can do to help shoppers:

Make sure your Web site is tied to your store and call centre, so consumers can shop at home and by phone, and go to the store to buy.

Tie online and store promotions together so online shoppers are driven to your store.

Use supply chain technology to keep hot items in stock throughout the holiday season.

Use point-of-sale technology to check stock availability at other stores, and to handle return items bought on the Web.