They're looking for at different retailers
"We don't see a lot of people going to eBay as their first stop in the way we see people going to Amazon," said Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. "But there's an opportunity for people to find the same items they're looking for at different retailers."
Other one-stop shopping discount sites include Overstock.com, which offers retailers' excess inventory, ranging from mattresses to clothing and gifts. Another option is the little-known Aliexpress.com, a site operated by Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba.com. The site offers Chinese goods to shoppers in the U.S. and some other countries. And while quality varies, the prices are definitely hard to beat. Or check out Rakuten.com, a similar site from Japan that delivers to other countries.
PRICE MATCH
Best Buy, Target, Staples, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Home Depot, Office Depot, Office Max all price match Amazon.com items. (Some exclude marketplace goods, and most matching is limited to in-store items, not online). Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said Thursday it is considering matching Amazon's online prices as it gears up for the all-important holiday shopping season.
FREE SHIPPING
One of the biggest perks of the $99 annual Amazon loyalty program is free two-day shipping on many items. Retailers are increasingly taking a page and offering to ship you goods at no charge.
ShopRunner.com, which partners with many retailers to offer free two-day shipping, is a good alternative, says Mark LoCastro, a spokesman at Dealnews.com. You pay an annual $79 membership. And ShopRunner works with major retailers such as Neiman Marcus and American Eagle and smaller brands such as the NFL Shop and Beauty.com.
Other one-stop shopping discount sites include Overstock.com, which offers retailers' excess inventory, ranging from mattresses to clothing and gifts. Another option is the little-known Aliexpress.com, a site operated by Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba.com. The site offers Chinese goods to shoppers in the U.S. and some other countries. And while quality varies, the prices are definitely hard to beat. Or check out Rakuten.com, a similar site from Japan that delivers to other countries.
PRICE MATCH
Best Buy, Target, Staples, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Home Depot, Office Depot, Office Max all price match Amazon.com items. (Some exclude marketplace goods, and most matching is limited to in-store items, not online). Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said Thursday it is considering matching Amazon's online prices as it gears up for the all-important holiday shopping season.
FREE SHIPPING
One of the biggest perks of the $99 annual Amazon loyalty program is free two-day shipping on many items. Retailers are increasingly taking a page and offering to ship you goods at no charge.
ShopRunner.com, which partners with many retailers to offer free two-day shipping, is a good alternative, says Mark LoCastro, a spokesman at Dealnews.com. You pay an annual $79 membership. And ShopRunner works with major retailers such as Neiman Marcus and American Eagle and smaller brands such as the NFL Shop and Beauty.com.