Gas Prices Driving Online Sales

October 7, 2008

   Gas prices been hitting you hard? Are you not wanting to get out and drive?  This seems to be a common theme in the market place as of late. The reports of traffic to malls is on a steady decline and businesses are seeing a lot less foot traffic to their stores.  But don’t fret. According to The New York Times, consumers are giving up their car keys for a mouse.

A large number of retailers are reporting a large increase in their online sales. Companies like J.C. Penny, Victoria’s Secret and Gap are feeling the joy of double-digit increases from their sales online. In contrast, their sales from brick and mortar stores are on a steady decline.

The Gap’s 21% increase in internet sales was one spot of good news for the company when looking at an 11% decline in their ground store sales. J.C. Penney had an 8.7% growth in internet sales during Q1 2008, while the exact store sales had a 7.4% decrease.

“So how do I get a piece of this online stuff?” you might ask.

Here are a few tips:

Discount of free shipping:  this is a great way to get people that are looking to save on gas to buy online.

Online coupons:  according to research, online coupons are up 56% from the same time last year. Post a coupon on your site to give your customers an incentive to buy. Try www.oneminutecoupon.com

More exposure:  Get your company more online traffic though listing your company in online directories. The more listings that you have the better chance that people will find you no matter where they search.

“As consumers become more and more conscious of saving money, they’re exploring new ways to cut costs without giving up too much of what they love, which includes shopping,” said Scott Kluth, founder and president of CouponCabin.com.

CouponCabin also gave the following tips for online shopping:

• Be Safe — Only Shop at Secure Websites: Secure websites are definable by a yellow padlock in the status bar. By shopping at a secure website, it ensures hackers are unable to obtain any of the shopper’s personal information.
• Save On Shipping — Search for Discounted or Free Shipping Coupons: Sites like CouponCabin.com have entire sections dedicated strictly to coupons for discounted or free shipping.
• Let The Sales Find You: Register for e-newsletters to stay constantly informed of sales and discounts.
• Stack For More Savings: Stacking is an online shopping trick that allows shoppers to use multiple coupons at once, providing extra savings. If there are two promotional code boxes, make sure to use two different coupon codes to maximize savings.
• Shop For The Things You Want: Check listings for coupon codes that pertain to specific items you are interested in. Sites like CouponCabin.com have a link for “favorite deals,” which allows shoppers to browse by category to view products with discount codes that may peak their interest.