|
|
Online Shopping Mall
Shopping Online Can Earn Extra Reward Points
(CBS 42) Many people are members of frequent flyer program or have credit cards that earn airline or hotel points. Now, there's a way to speed up those travel plans by shopping online. Leigh Witchel's a pro at using rewards points when he travels. On his last trip, he saved big. "I paid for the plane fare, which was business class with points and miles and I paid also for my hotel in Russia that way," Witchel said.Witchel racked up rewards by using a new shopping program for travelers. Many airlines and several hotel chains are now partnering with retailers and setting up online shopping malls on their own Web sites. "These online shopping malls are a great idea for building points when you're not traveling," said Laura MacNeil with Budget Travel Magazine.MacNeil says major names like The Gap, Circuit City, Barnes and Noble and many more are all on board."I�ve shopped at several different stores from fabric stores, to clothing stores to book stores," Witchel said.
Airlines cash in on online shopping
Lori Okimura, a business traveler based in Los Angeles, earned more than 3,000 frequent-flier miles on Thanksgiving night and the next morning, but she never left her home. Her secret? She took advantage of holiday shopping bonuses at the online shopping mall run by American Airlines' frequent-flier program. She was able to buy gifts from retailers like Circuit City and Target and receive bonus miles both for purchases at these retailers and for using her Citi AAdvantage MasterCard. "Instead of standing in line with 500 people in front of Target, when everybody was in a frenzy, I chose to go online," Okimura, who runs a sporting events marketing company, said last week. "I got up early, had a cup of coffee and was online for four hours. I'm 90 percent done with my holiday shopping and I earned double miles." Jupiter Research estimates that online shoppers will spend $32 billion this holiday season, generating 7 percent of all holiday merchandise sales.
Ferrit offers one-stop shopping at last
Telecom has upgraded its online shopping mall Ferrit to allow users to pay for multiple items with one transaction.
Shoppers can now choose how they want to purchase the goods: at the retailer's store, through the retailer's website or online at Ferrit.
When an order has been placed, customers can track the delivery status of their goods. When the credit card bill arrives, it will be split out by retailer, says Ferrit's general manager Ralph Brayham.
Ferrit offers 1.5 million products from over 90 retailers in 2,500 product categories, according to the company.
As well as a single shopping cart, Ferrit 2.0 has new enhancements aimed at making searching and comparing faster and easier.
Tools like Wish Lists and Gift Grabber have been expanded and made more responsive to shoppers' preferences, according to Brayham.
Retail Therapy and Retail-Charity: A Perfect Combination This ...
From today shoppers can give to UK charities while they spend withhundreds of brands - yet the prices they pay will not change.www.retail-charity.com is an online shopping mall which turns the traditionalconcept on its head by donating 50% of its revenues to UK charities. When shoppers visit www.retail-charity.com they will find their favouritebrands, including Hamleys, Marks & Spencer, Amazon, Boots, iTunes, Halfords,John Lewis, Tesco and eBay. Before shopping, they will be asked to registertheir name and the category of charity they wish to support - includingchildren, animal, disability, homeless or a range of others. It is estimated that online spending in the UK in 2007 will reach GBP10billion, and that may be a conservative estimate. By shopping viawww.retail-charity.com consumers can make sure a percentage goes to excellentcauses.
|
|
