[ad_1]

Promising a double-bonus of cost and time savings, Apple on Wednesday began offering free two-hour delivery in major metro areas from Dec. 22 through Dec. 24.

On Dec. 24, customers must place orders by 12:00 p.m. Typically, two-hour delivery costs $9 per order.

The offer was announced in an email to Apple Store shoppers and on Apple Store online.

In the last days before Christmas, messages promising ease of shopping replace or join ones around holiday deals.

In a press release issued on Dec. 14, Target exclaims, “No Time Left? No Problem. Target’s Got the Recipe to Get Your Holiday Shopping Done *Fast*”

Target’s “ingredients” include:

  • “A handful of must-have giftables” guided by curated shopping lists
  • “Last-minute savings” across the last two weeks
  • “Three safe and speedy same-day services”

Target’s same-day services include order pickup (free), drive up (free) and Shipt (free for members on orders over $35). On Christmas Eve, pickup and Shipt orders have to be made by 6:00 p.m.

Target said, “You’ll get it fast: We’ve doubled our number of Drive Up spots and added another 150,000 Shipt Shoppers this season to ensure you can get your items quickly, with the service that you prefer.”

Other last-minute shopper pitches on retailer websites include:

  • Bed, Bath & Beyond’s landing page prominently reads, “Get holiday gifts TODAY — fast & free!” Offers include gift ideas across price levels and categories, 20 percent off one-hour store pickup and free same-day delivery on orders over $39 made by 7 p.m.
  • Macy’s is holding a “Last-Minute Gift Sale” featuring 25-to-60 percent off savings. In-store pickup is available for orders made by 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Same-day delivery is available for $5 for orders over $25 made by noon on Dec. 23.
  • Victoria’s Secret’s message to last-minute shoppers on its landing page reads, “Give her what she really wants — a Victoria’s Secret E-Gift Card. Order before December 25 at 8PM for same-day email delivery.”
  • Amazon doesn’t currently have messaging aimed at last-minute shoppers. However, items available for Prime delivery by Christmas Eve feature a countdown for when they have to be ordered.

[ad_2]

Source link