Online Sites Hit Free Shipping Monday With More Than Just Free Shipping Deals
"Free Shipping Monday” spawned a frenzy of last-minute online shopping ads up to and including Monday, as retailers tried to pry more dollars from the fists of deal-savvy consumers, we found in a scan of e-commerce sites. Hhgregg tried to steer customers into a store for immediate purchases prior to Free Shipping Monday, blasting its email list Sunday with the promise of a $20 shave off the price of the 16 GB iPad 2, in stores only, and for an unspecified “limited” time. The hhgregg email also trumpeted the fourth-gen 16 GB iPod Touch at $199.99, but that was the same price as on the Apple website, we found.
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At Best Buy, a three-day sale promised “some of the best deals of the season,” and Blu-ray players offered appealing bargains falling from three-figure to double-digit prices. To steer clear of minimum advertised price issues, shoppers had to place the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 3D Blu-ray player in an e-cart to see that it had been slashed $50 to $99.99. Even the unnamed 6-foot HDMI cables pictured with the Panasonic player as accessory add-ons were bargain-priced at $12.99 and $5.49, we found. A Sony BDPS590 3D Blu-ray player was also knocked down by $50 to $99.99, and a Toshiba BDX3300 3D Blu-ray player with Wi-Fi took a $40 hit to $59.99.
Big-screen TVs continue to offer terrific bargains for shoppers this holiday season. Mitsubishi’s announcement that it was exiting the Digital Light Processing business has been a big incentive for retailers and shoppers. Best Buy’s online store sold out of the 60-inch Mitsubishi WD-60638 3D DLP at $799.99, and a 65-inch was $100 more on Monday, we found. But it wasn’t just closeout Mitsubishi prices driving 60-inch TV sales. The 60-inch LG 60PA6500 plasma was cut from $1,349.99 to $799.99, we found by placing the TV in a virtual cart. A Samsung PN60E530A3FXZA 60-inch plasma TV came in $200 higher, but was discounted $500.
LCD TVs fared better for retailers and manufacturers, with prices for 60-inch and above TVs for top-tier brands hovering around $1,000 or better at Best Buy. The Sharp LED-lit LC-60LE600U was discounted $450 to $949, while the Samsung LC-60LE600U was dropped $300 to $1,099. Savings were steep on the Samsung UN60ES6100FXZA LED-lit smart TV, slashed $900 to $1,499, we found, and higher on the UN60ES7100FXZ smart 3D model that was cut by $1,200 to $1,900. Best Buy put a $300 temporary price cut on the Sharp 70-inch LC-70LE845U, a 3D LED-lit smart TV, with the sale running through Tuesday at $2,899.
Abt Electronics’ spin on Free Shipping Monday was a half off discount on expedited shipping to meet the Christmas deadline, according to the company website. J and R tried to lure shoppers to its reward program with the promise of free shipping on everything during the holiday season except for “oversized” products. Walmart offered free shipping Monday on orders of $45 or more. Target offered free shipping on eligible purchases totaling $50 or more. Target is also giving away $50 gift cards to customers who buy select PlayStation bundles and $50 gift cards to customers who buy two pairs of select Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, according to the website. Customers who buy two Wii videogames will get a select game free through Dec. 22, Target said. Nook customers will get a $30 Target gift card through Dec. 22, and buying a 16 GB iPod Touch nets a $50 gift card from Target during the same period.
Manufacturers entered the ring, too, with their own sweetened shipping deals. Skullcandy offered free three-day shipping Monday in the U.S. with no minimum purchase. Panasonic is offering free shipping through the end of the year “while supplies last,” according to its direct shopping site. Sony pushed free ground shipping on all orders at sonystyle.com. Bose offered free shipping on select products, including a TV speaker, home theater speakers, computer speakers, headphones and a SoundDock system with an iPod dock.