Shop 'Till You Drop In The Warmth of Your Home
 by: A Raymond Randall

Do you go to the shopping mall, or do you sit in your favorite chair with keyboard handy? In time, shopping malls may become unwanted landscape with aisles of vacant stores while online shopping increases annually. When Internet shopping you can enter your credit card securely (bank card companies cooperate with special shopping ID's), fair or free shipping costs, and friendly customer service. This saves you time, saves you gasoline, and saves you money.

Shopping from your couch keeps you away from drivers racing from one lane to the shoulder, some painting their lips, others babbling or haggling. No need to play bumper cars when getting a parking spot either.

Last Saturday, my family passed our local mall's parking lot. A full lot on the food court side suggests crowded aisles. Crowds challenge my shopping patience, but seldom dissuade the women in our family. In 1997, according to eMarketer, Inc. men and boys dominated the Internet. Today, women have the edge.

The International Council of Shopping Centers predicts a 3.5% increase in holiday shopping at brick and motor stores. Large department stores, the anchor tenants of shopping malls, may see a 2% increase. How come?

* Large Department Stores Do Not Motivate Shoppers, according to The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) Store clerks do not greet shoppers

* Store clerks do not offer extra service to shoppers

* Store clerks do not suggest other products to shoppers

* Store clerks lack the motivation that keeps shoppers buying

Walmart,Target, and luxury retail merchants experience 5% increase in sales this year as large department stores are "naughty and not nice".

There is no coal in the on line retailers stocking this year:

* According to Goldman Sachs: On line shopping increased by 16% over last year (week ending December 9th)

* $18.6 billion in sales since early November according to Harris Interactive. According to comScore Networks, online sales the Monday after Thanksgiving increased by $485 million (26%) more than 2004 (by the way, someday the U.S. and State Governments will tax this commerce).

On line shoppers are motivated to spend money. On line shopping security improves constantly. No need to check the mall when a delivery man can bring your package to your door. No need to endure over worked and under paid counter sales help, when a "click" of your keyboard completes the sale. Shoppers are changing lanes.

Ebay, Amazon, and Google motivate shoppers. Macy's, Filene's, and Sears may have lost their knack. Copywriters may become more important than counter sales people. As I write, Google's (GOOG) stock price is $427.82 (Do you know about Froogle?) Federated Stores (FD) is $63.75. Paradigm shifts are every where.

About The Author

A Raymond Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts Ethos Advisory Services. He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for http://www.ethosadvisory.com Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at http://www.echievements.com Echievements.com. Ray holds a Masters Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may call Ray (617-275-5565).