Big-box retailers to match online rivals’ pricing
In efforts to compete with online retailers like amazon.com, Target has announced it will price match with certain online competitors for the holiday season.
Target will match prices from Amazon.com, Wal-Mart.com, BestBuy.com, Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com between Nov. 1 and Dec. 16.
Best Buy announced a similar online matching program last week, but excludes Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday. Unlike Target, Best Buy will match prices of a larger number of retailers, although the price matches will be given at the discretion of Best Buy staffers on the sales floor. In addition, Best Buy will offer free shipping to customers seeking items that are out of stock in store.
With the number of people using smartphone apps like shopsavvy and googleshopper to comparison shop, big-box retailers are competing to get customers to purchase in store.
As a consumer, will these promises of online price matching keep your holiday gift dollars with these big-box stores?
October 17, 2012 - 10:16 AM
I like to see what I am buying most of the time. I may check in out in a store, but buy online if the offer is better. So it will depend on pricing. As well as if I feel that the oneline buy will come through. Remember the Best Buy issue last Christmas? As for Target, they ruined my shopping experience with their renovation. I used to shop there weekly, but now rarely do. I went to Target because it offered a different experience, but now with the grocery addition the other merchanise offerings are lacking.
Any plans for them to match their own online prices? I have several times looked online to see what Walmart carries, their prices etc. and then gone into the store and found higher prices there that store staff/managers had no authority to match.
So if it is at their discretion you still have to go in the store, wait to find someone to help you, and probably haggle to get then to agree to the match. Or I can log in to my Amazon acct click on the item, choose my prime shipping and have it at my door in 2 days. Hmmmmm difficult choice, to me Best Buy has gone way down hill. The last several times I have been there I practically had to beg somebody to help me, or I got somebody that had no idea what they were talking about. I do about 85% of my holiday shopping with Amazon and in total probably 95% online. I hate the crowds and the often hateful spirit it seems to bring out in people. The sales clerks cant tell me anything I cant find with a simple google search and a few minutes of my time. Previously the tax free thing was a big plus but starting in 2013 we are going to have to pay sales Tax on items purchased from Amazon too!
Honestly, the only thing I’m going to a big-box retailer for this holiday season is a TV. And I’ll probably get it on Black Friday with the rest of the crazies.
I’m attempting to do the rest of my holiday shopping from local retailers.
Becky, I agree. I preferred our Target before the “renovation”. All that mess and uproar, and now you walk in, it looks just as old and dingy as before, and there’s less merchandise. And it still stinks like Slurpees and fake popcorn. If I want something from Target now, I go online.
I, as with many, will still do online shopping vs. going to the store. I agree that people are just too mean and don’t want to be kind and I don’t have to subject myself that that kind of environment. there seems to be a competition on who can be the rudest and just downright ugly. In a store the other day and someone fell, and another person actual walked OVER them and kept on going. No offer to help, no are you all right? I was appalled. busy store and I was the only to offer help, even the staff did not do anything. I will stick to my online shopping because the price is always better, I don’t have to spend money in gas, the shipping generally free, the items are available and in stock, unopened and returns are easier. Plus, I don’t have to witness the narcissistic environment that has perpetuated in a time that everything is all about me.