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Originally Posted by ronparrs
I think... With the gas & all energy products going up, I think consumers will & are more likely to shop online in order to SAVE gas!! Why drive 20 miles in your SUV at 12 mpg & waste $3.00 gallon gas (total $6.00) - plus the food you shouldn't be eating at the mall anyway - when you can order from the peace & comfort of your easy chair for only a couple bucks more, have the stuff delivered to your home? It just makes sense.
After September begins, I think all etailers are in for a pretty good Christmas Holiday season.
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Not sure I agree with you. Higher fuel prices affect carrier costs/shipping as well. I personally have ratcheted back on Internet purchases because freight costs exceeded the savings, or made the difference negligible. And that was really prior to the recent crude price jumps.
One-off or unusual items, maybe. Staples, consumables, maintenance items - I'll drive. Also, a common purchase model was for a buyer to comparison shop at local brick-and-mortar merchants, yet price shop and buy from the lowest source online. I speculate that the model will flip - buyers will conserve fuel by researching online, accumulating a mass of purchases they will complete on a single shopping trip around the area.
Sensitivity to fuel costs and loss of disposable income will make buyers more closely scrutinize details like shipping costs vs driving costs. This will present a challenge to online retailers who will need to negotiate deeper discounts or reduce margins.
Let the games begin!
Chris