AM Inbox: Barcodes in preheaders?

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

J. Jill, 12/30 — Our new collection is here! Take 15% off!‏
In my Takeaways from the Winter 2009 Email Insider Summit post, I quote Matt Caldwell of Yesmail as saying, “The preheader is probably the area [of an email] with the most creative growth.” Well, here’s more proof of that: a barcode in a preheader. I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen that before. It’s a clear call-to-action that subscribers should bring the email to a store to get their discount.



Coach, 12/30 — Ring in the New Year with Peyton
Coach introduces this magazine cover-inspired design for a new Coach News newsletter. It’s actually a more polished aesthetic of their redesign earlier this year (see Apr. 7 AM Inbox), but I’ve never seen a magazine cover that only used full-caps. My ears are ringing from all the shouting, plus it’s really hard to read. Hopefully they’ll use mostly sentence case next time.



Drs. Foster & Smith, 12/30 — Top 5 Ways To Save on Pet Care in 2010‏
With a focus on DIY and automation, Drs. Foster & Smith present five great tips for pet care. In the wake of Bed Bath & Beyond’s newsletter (see Dec. 29 AM Inbox), this is another great blending of educational and promotional content.



Old Navy, 12/30 — Last Chance! Save 10% on New Arrivals‏
After using three navigation bars in an email earlier this year (see June 29 AM Inbox), Old Navy returns with another nav-trio in this email. As we reported in Email Navigation Differs Radically from Website Navigation, nav bars can be a strong source of clicks for most marketers. Getting strong results from your nav bar? Try repeating the nav bar at the bottom of the body copy or weaving it into the messaging as Old Navy does.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Walgreens, 12/30 — 2 Days Left! Get $10 OFF Online Orders + Don't Forget FSA‏
Cooking.com, 12/30 — 2009's 10 Top Recipes + Best Sellers‏
Barnes & Noble, 12/30 — This Week -- Huge After Holiday Savings, Best of 2009, 50% off Select DVDs‏
SmartBargains, 12/30 — New Year, New Surprises!
Gap, 12/30 — What's New?
Macy’s, 12/30 — Save on thousands of sale & clearance items at the New Year's Sale!
Urban Outfitters, 12/30 — The Sale's On Sale‏
Lane Bryant, 12/30 — Fashion Up To 60% Off + Go Bold In Graphic Tees‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/30 — TORY BURCH Trunk Show: Be the first to shop Spring‏
JC Whitney, 12/30 — Car Owners Agree - Amazing Offer Plus Must-Have Accessories!
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AM Inbox: Post-Christmas upsell opportunities

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Lillian Vernon, 12/29 — Forget the Gift Add-ons? Save 15% on Items to Compliment Your New "Toys"
The days after Christmas are a great time for messaging about accessories and other upsell opportunities. The best opportunities are probably around triggered messages based on what consumers have purchased, but there are also some broadcast email opportunities. This email takes this approach, offering organizational products that pair well with popular holiday gifts. This organizational messaging also plays well with New Year’s messaging, since getting organized is an evergreen goal for many people.



J&R, 12/29 — End of Year Budget Blowout! -- Featuring MSI Notebook $379 + Free Shipping‏
J&R has made their header into a very dynamic space. In addition to using different slogans, they’ve been active in dressing up their header for different selling occasions. For instance, they added spider webs to their logo for Halloween (see Nov. 2 AM Inbox), turned their logo black for Black Friday (see Nov. 27 AM Inbox), added lights for the holiday season (see Dec. 23 AM Inbox), and had a “Back 2 Black” campaign that used some fun animation (see Dec. 14 AM Inbox). In this email, they’ve given their logo a New Year’s makeover.



SmartBargains, 12/29 — Your $20 Gift Card is Active.
If it has a spending threshold, it’s not a gift card—it’s just a deal, discount or offer. You gamble with your credibility when you send misleading subject lines like this just to boost open rates.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Barnes & Noble, 12/29 — Save up to 90% on Textbooks‏
GameStop, 12/29 — Gear up for the New Year‏
Montgomery Ward, 12/29 — Make Your Fitness Dreams Come True with Wards!
Dell, 12/29 — New Year's Celebration Sale -- Save today‏
Wal-Mart, 12/29 — Save 25% on 2009's Top 50 MP3 Albums‏
Ralph Lauren, 12/29 — The Resort Collection Is Here + Holiday Sale‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/29 — Sun-drenched COLORS await you‏
Omaha Steaks, 12/29 — ONE DAY Below employee pricing FREE Shipping 4 FREE Tartlets‏
L.L. Bean, 12/29 — "Lightweight, Yet Toasty" + Save up to 50%
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AM Inbox: Marrying editorial and promotional content

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Bed Bath & Beyond, 12/28 — Shape-up tips from Real Simple®
Earlier in the year, Bed Bath & Beyond started marrying advice from Real Simple with complementary product selections. However, the early design kept the editorial content at arm’s length from the promotional content. The redesigned enacted in this email fixes that, combining the editorial and promotional in content blocks so that the two are more closely associated. Here’s the new design (left) and the old design from a May 1 email:



Lands’ End, 12/28 — Up to 50% off + Free Shipping: shop the Winter Sale now for best selection‏
By my count, this is the seventh gift services footer (GSF) that Lands’ End has used this holiday season. Not only did they change the color and shape of their GSFs to suit the design of particular emails, but—more importantly—they changed the links contained in the GSF to suit the point in the holiday season. For instance, this GSF contains links to buy e-gift cards and to find returns information. These links are more important late in the holiday season and were appropriately not included in GSFs used early on. Did you vary your GSF during the holiday season?



Harry & David, 12/28 — Delicious Savings: Up to 50% OFF at our After-Christmas SALE!
People often get unexpected gifts. Harry & David tries to tap into that desire to reciprocate with this small bit of messaging.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Staples, 12/28 — ...3, 2, 1...happy new deals!
Sam’s Club, 12/28 — Start the New Year with savings from Sam's Club‏
J. Jill, 12/28 — Start the year right with an extra 25% off sale and outlet!
PC Connection, 12/28 — 9 Great Deals To Wrap Up '09 - Hurry Offers End 12/31!
NFLshop, 12/28 — End of Year Sale - Up to 70% Off at the NFL Shop Outlet‏
Frederick’s of Hollywood, 12/28 — Up to 70% off bras, lingerie, clothing and more.
TigerDirect, 12/28 — Year-End Liquidation...Ends 12/31...Hurry‏
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AM Inbox: 'Tis the season for friends, family and fans

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Lands’ End, 12/25 — A very merry thank you: $1000s in Gift Cards for Lands' End fans‏
More than 18% of major online retailers sent some form of a season’s greeting email around Christmas, but this one from Lands’ End stood out—not because of its design, which is fairly uninspired, but because of its social call-to-action. This is the first season’s greeting email I’ve seen to take this approach. I’ve included the subject lines of several other season’s greetings emails in the Subjectivity Scanner below.



JCPenney, 12/27 — Our Biggest After Christmas Sale!
The days between Christmas and New Year’s are the biggest for gift card redemption messaging, like the one prominently displayed in the header of this JCPenney email. That said, gift card redemption messaging continues throughout January, albeit at lower rates.



Neiman Marcus, 12/24 — The New Year's COUNTDOWN begins‏
This Neiman Marcus email contains some nice brand-building messaging in the form of a countdown that conveys that they’re both worldly and contemporary. The factoids are both interesting and a quick read.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Sam’s Club, 12/25 — Merry Christmas from Sam's Club‏
Ralph Lauren, 12/25 — Warmest Wishes From Ralph Lauren‏
J. Jill, 12/25 — Happy holidays from your friends at J. Jill.‏
Ann Taylor, 12/25 — Happy Holidays from the Ann Taylor Team‏
JC Whitney, 12/24 — Happy Holidays - Wishing You The Best JC Whitney!
Ross-Simons, 12/24 — Ross-Simons Wishes You & Your Family a Very Happy Holiday!
Frederick’s of Hollywood, 12/25 — Happy holidays, Save up to 70% + a free gift.
Toys “R” Us, 12/25 — Wishing You Tons of Joy and Cheer!
Sony, 12/24 — Season's Greetings and Happy New Year‏
Norm Thompson, 12/25 — Have a wonderful holiday! Get first dibs at Winter Sale.
Urban Outfitters, 12/25 — Happy Holidays + 50% Off Sale in Stores!‏
Bluefly, 12/25 — Happy Holidays – EXTRA 10% OFF Everything – Today Only!
NikeStore, 12/24 — There's Still Time For a Digital Gift Card‏
NFLshop, 12/24 — Still Need a Gift? Give an NFL Shop Online Gift Certificate‏
SmartBargains, 12/24 — Forget Someone? Get an Instant e-Gift Card!
MLB, 12/24 — Give an instant gift with online Gift Certificates.
Brookstone, 12/24 — There's still time to find the perfect gift—Get to a Brookstone Store!‏
Toys “R” Us, 12/24 — BONUS Store Hours Christmas Eve... many open until 10pm! Plus last chance for Zhu Zhu Pets, in-store Now!
Chadwick’s, 12/26 — t'was the day after Christmas...
Apple, 12/26 — Wasn't under the tree? Get it now from the Apple Store.
JC Whitney, 12/26 — More Shirts And Socks? Get What You Really Want!
J. Jill, 12/26 — Get what you really wanted & an extra 25% off.
Lands’ End, 12/26 — SALE: Get up to 50% off what you really wanted for Christmas + Free Shipping‏
Diamond.com, 12/24 — Sneak Peek - After Christmas Sale - Up to 80% Off Plus Free Shipping‏
Fingerhut, 12/24 — Fingerhut: Clearance Event Starts TODAY!
Neiman Marcus, 12/24 — ONLINE SALE STARTS TODAY! Save as much as 60% off‏
Sam’s Club, 12/25 — Shop Sam's Club for Special Buys & even more after Christmas savings.
TigerDirect, 12/25 — Christmas Clearance Starts Now...Save up to 50% Off Already Low Prices!
REI, 12/25 — REI Holiday Clearance: Save Up to 50% Now‏
HP, 12/25 — HP's Red Tag Sale STARTS NOW!‏
Bass Pro Shops, 12/25 — After Christmas Sale at BassPro.com‏
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 12/25 — Save Up to 70% in Our After-Holiday Sale!
Sports Authority, 12/26 — After Christmas Sale - Save up to 70% Off Online & In-Store‏
eBags, 12/26 — After Christmas Sale - Up to 70% Off‏
Northern Tool, 12/26 — Year End Clearance Sale - Save Up To 75%
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Week-End Trends: Post-Christmas slide in email volume begins

Email activity and promotional trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: Top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 3.2 promotional emails on average during the week ending Dec. 25, 2009. That’s down 21% week-over-week, down 9% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 6% year-over-year.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Monday was the most popular day to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: New Year’s messaging will dominate over the next two weeks.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
New Year’s (1/1): New Year’s 2009 Season Finale
Valentine’s Day (2/14): Valentine’s Day 2009 Season Finale
St. Patrick’s Day (3/17): St. Patrick’s Day 2009 Season Finale
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Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

On behalf of my family and team members at Smith-Harmon and Responsys, I hope your holidays are full of family, love and laughter, and wish you all the best in the New Year.

—Chad, Kate, Benjamin and Zachary


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AM Inbox: E-gift card promotions

>>Holiday fun from Smith-Harmon: Download a Holiday Subject Line Word Tree and Merry Email Marketing MAD LIBS.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Orvis, 12/23 — The perfect last-minute gift - order by 10pm 12/24 for same-day delivery.
Just like last year, it appears that two days before Christmas will be the height of e-gift card promotions. Retailers use a range of messaging to promote their e-gift cards, with this email from Orvis being one of the more detailed. Not only does it list the benefits of sending an e-gift card, but it lists the steps required to do so. That allows those who have never sent one before to see all that’s involved. Orvis also includes an e-gift card incentive in the form of an offer for buy one, get one half off for their fly-fishing school.



Oriental Trading, 12/23 — The best last minute gift - eGift Cards are fast & easy‏
Oriental Trading also includes a short set of instructions for sending an e-gift card. Theirs includes being able to add a personal message and a time range for delivery. Some retailers are able to deliver e-gift cards “instantly” while others require 24 hours or more, so it’s a good idea to tell subscribers how long it takes you.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Walgreens, 12/23 — Open Dec. 24-25: H1N1 Vaccines Available + Last-Minute Gifts‏
Lane Bryant, 12/23 — E-Gift Cards Arrive The Same Day + 60% Off Holiday Sale‏
DisneyStore, 12/23 — Forgot Someone? Giving's Easy with Our Online Gift Card!‏
Crutchfield, 12/23 — There's still time: e-mail gift cards still available‏
Kohl’s, 12/23 — Last 2 Days to Shop! e-Gift Cards & In-Store Discounts‏
Buy.com, 12/23 — Microsoft Office $74.99, Gift Certificates - Send Instantly by E-mail, Digital Photo Viewer $14.99, Acer Aspire 11.6" Laptop $389.95,..‏
Toys “R” Us, 12/23 — Extended Holiday Store Hours PLUS It's Not Too Late To Send An eGift Card!
Nordstrom, 12/23 — Buy Online, Pick Up in Store Today!‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/23 — NOW UNTIL NOON: Free online delivery by Christmas at ANY PRICE‏
J&R, 12/23 — There's Still Time. Order by 2pm EST for Holiday Delivery!‏
TigerDirect, 12/23 — Last Chance for Overnight Delivery - Order by 3 PM EST Wednesday for Christmas Eve Delivery‏
Blue Nile, 12/23 — Last Chance! Order by 7pm EST on 12/23 for Free Christmas Delivery + 25% Off Diamond Earrings‏
Sports Authority, 12/23 — Hurry, Order Tonight by 9PM EST for Guaranteed Overnight Delivery + Save $25 Off $100 Orders‏
NFLshop, 12/23 — Hurry, Only a Few Hours Left - $5.99 Overnight Shipping + Guaranteed Delivery by 12/24‏
Brookstone, 12/23 — Last Day for GUARANTEED Next-Day Delivery!‏
Bluefly, 12/23 — Holiday Dress Code: Sequins, Studs & Shine!‏
Eddie Bauer, 12/23 — Up to 50% off - Ultimate Sale Starts Online Today + Free Shipping‏
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AM Inbox: Last-minute Christmas messaging

>>Holiday fun from Smith-Harmon: Download a Holiday Subject Line Word Tree and Merry Email Marketing MAD LIBS.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

REI, 12/22 — Still Available: REI E-Gift Cards + 50% Off at REI-OUTLET‏
This REI email is a solid example of last-minute Christmas messaging. Although the subject line highlights e-gift cards and outlet deals, the primary message spot in the email is occupied by a season’s greeting message. The most prominent secondary message is one about e-gift cards, followed by a secondary banner featuring information about my local store. That’s followed by outlet information. So the focus here is on e-gift cards and stores for presents, and on the outlet to start generating after-Christmas sales.



J&R, 12/22 — Last Minute Gifts. . . Shipped In Time for Christmas, Hurry!‏
On the other hand, this J&R email puts the focus squarely on shipping options, providing the most detailed shipping deadline breakdown I’ve ever seen in an email. The secondary focus is on store sales, including in-store pickups.



JCPenney, 12/22 — Last Day For 1/2 Off Express Shipping!
Just as they’ve done in the past leading up to Black Friday, JCPenney is offering a wakeup call service for the day after Christmas to support their after-Christmas sale. I don’t know how popular it is—there doesn’t appear to be any special advantage to using it—but it’s a nice multichannel touch.



Chadwick’s, 12/22 — Open before 2pm today! Hurry, last day to get it for Christmas!
Chadwick’s takes an interesting approach with their subject line here, instructing subscribers to open the email before 2pm. That’s a novel way to add some urgency to the message and was surely aimed at folks who are scanning their inbox and deciding what needs to be opened now and what can wait.

SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Banana Republic, 12/22 — New classics for the new year‏
Lillian Vernon, 12/22 — Shh! Be the First to Shop the After Christmas Sale & Don't Pay Shipping‏
ShopNBC, 12/22 — Year End Clearance BIG savings of up to 60% off‏
SmartBargains, 12/22 — Shoppin' in a Winter WonderSALE...SAVE UP TO 40% OFF NOW!
Brookstone, 12/22 — Last Day for Guaranteed Express Delivery!
NFLshop, 12/22 — Guaranteed To Get There By 12/24 - Overnight Shipping Only $5.99!‏
DisneyStore, 12/22 — Last Day for Express Delivery on Disney Gifts!‏
1-800-Flowers.com, 12/22 — $5 Shipping or Service Charge - Guaranteed for Christmas!‏
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AM Inbox: Christmas gifts sent on digital wings

>>Holiday fun from Smith-Harmon: Download a Holiday Subject Line Word Tree and Merry Email Marketing MAD LIBS.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

J. Crew, 12/21 — Need a present in a pinch?
J. Crew dedicates an email to promoting their e-gift cards, which are traditionally pitched as the “perfect last-minute gift.” In this email, J. Crew uses a bit of fun animation to support the swiftness of this gift. As discussed in the Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season, e-gift card messaging is particularly important during the few days right before Christmas. E-gift card messaging today, tomorrow and on Christmas Eve should be significant.



Oriental Trading, 12/21 — Get set to celebrate & save 20%
This email not only mentions New Year’s parties but it refers broadly to football parties. With the Super Bowl coming up on Feb. 7 and plenty of college bowl games between now and then, football messaging is big during January, with TVs being the primary product pushed. I haven’t tracked references to the Super Bowl or “Big Game” in past years, but I will be this year.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Finish Line, 12/21 — Get Your Gifts Until December 23rd With In Store Pick Up!
Blue Nile, 12/21 — Order by 12/23 for Free Christmas Delivery + Exclusive Offer‏
Crate & Barrel, 12/21 — Free Shipping ends tomorrow at noon (CT). Last minute gift ideas.
Ross-Simons, 12/21 — 25% Off Your Order - Hurry, Guaranteed Christmas Delivery Ends Tomorrow!‏
Northern Tool, 12/21 — Final Day Standard Shipping For 12/24 Delivery‏
Sportsman’s Guide, 12/21 — Hurry, Last Day for Standard Shipping & Guaranteed Delivery by 12/24!
NFLshop, 12/21 — Last Chance - Order Today & Guarantee Delivery By 12/24 + Free Shipping Over $50‏
Dell, 12/21 — Order Today - FastTrack Systems That Ship In Time for the Holidays!‏
Bloomingdale’s, 12/21 — Urgent: Last Day For Standard Shipping‏
NikeStore, 12/21 — Last Chance for Free Holiday Shipping‏
Overstock.com, 12/21 — Last Day Free 2-Day Shipping by 12/24‏
Coldwater Creek, 12/21 — Last Savings Day! 30% off ends tonight (and ships in time!)
Norm Thompson, 12/21 — LAST DAY for 20% OFF! And nick-of-time delivery.
Lands’ End, 12/21 — Ends tonight: Free Shipping for Christmas delivery‏
Buy.com, 12/21 — Alert: Free 1 Day Express Shipping‏
Kohl’s, 12/21 — Tick Tock. Only 4 days left to save an extra 30%, 20% or 15%!
Barnes & Noble, 12/21 — 4 Days Left -- 10% Store Coupon‏
HSN, 12/21 — YEAR-END CLEARANCE! UP TO 60% OFF‏
Hanna Andersson, 12/21 — Twice A Year Savings Up To 60% Off. . .You're One Of The First To Save‏
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Complete your holiday décor with a Holiday Subject Line Word Tree

You’ve got your Christmas tree decked out, your wreaths hung and mistletoe strategically placed, but something’s missing. That’s because you forgot your Holiday Subject Line Word Tree!

Created from the subject lines of over 700 retail emails sent from Nov. 1 to Dec. 18, this tree isn’t only super festive, it can help you craft stellar subject lines during the 2010 holiday season. It contains the 150 most commonly used words and the bigger the word on the tree, the more often it was used in subject lines. Leverage key words to get your message across quickly and use less common words to be unique.

No email marketer’s holiday décor is complete without a Holiday Subject Line Word Tree, so download yours today! (This is a direct download of the PDF. There are no forms to complete.)
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AM Inbox: Blizzard messaging

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Brookstone, 12/19 — FREE Sitewide Shipping With $50 Order - Blizzard Of 2009!
Neiman Marcus, 12/20 — Can't get to the mall? Shop online and get FREE DELIVERY by Christmas at any price‏
Only Brookstone and Neiman Marcus were nimble enough to work this weekend’s blizzard into their messaging. Granted, they only worked it into their subject lines, but that extra bit of relevance may have been the difference between the email getting opened or not.

Ross-Simons, 12/19 — 30% Off Sale! Plus Sweepstake Winners Announced‏
This is a fantastic sweepstakes promotion. Not only does it announce the previous winners, which reinforces that other people are winning, but it allows you to buy the sweeps awards and enter the sweeps yourself.



Sears, 12/18 — Black Friday Now Doorbuster: Save $150 on 42" HDTV‏
In the past, in-store pickup times were measured in time from order. But Sears is now calculating it from the time that you arrive at the store. Needless to say, it’s a much shorter time, plus a timeframe that’s probably much more relevant to customers.



Old Navy, 12/20 — Take 10% Off New Arrivals, Only Online‏
Last holiday season, Spiegel sold gift cards at a 20% discount and this year Old Navy is doing it. It’s an unusual tactic. Essentially, they’re discounting money.



Crate & Barrel, 12/20 — Save the Sale Date: Dec. 26 up to 40% off Furniture Clearance‏
Crate & Barrel gives us our first after-Christmas sale reference.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Lillian Vernon, 12/20 — Impress Your Guests on Christmas and New Year's‏
Backcountry, 12/18 — The Final Countdown‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/19 — Time is running out! + Free online rush delivery at ANY PRICE‏
Nordstrom, 12/18 — Last Chance for Free Holiday Shipping (Details Inside) Send a Virtual Gift Card‏
Cabela’s, 12/19 — Last Chance for Guaranteed Express Shipping‏
Avon, 12/20 — LAST CHANCE for Guaranteed Christmas Delivery & FREE Shipping‏
Art.com, 12/19 — 22% off Site Wide - Last Chance for Holiday Expedited Shipping!
JCPenney, 12/18 — Last Day For Free Shipping For The Holidays!
Wal-Mart, 12/18 — Hurry! Order by Dec 20 for Standard Shipping on Great Gifts‏
Blue Nile, 12/18 — ENDS SUNDAY: 10% Off Jewelry Gifts - Free Shipping by Christmas‏
REI, 12/18 — Last Chance for Standard Shipping - Order by December 21!
Crate & Barrel, 12/19 — Last minute gift ideas. Free shipping ends 12/22 (noon CT).
Harry & David, 12/18 — Last Day! FREE Christmas Delivery on ALL Gifts!
Alloy, 12/18 — Extended Free Shipping: Get It By Christmas at No Charge‏
Buy.com, 12/18 — Alert: Free 2 Day Express Shipping‏
eBags, 12/18 — Free 2nd Day Air Upgrade - Get it there by 12/24‏
Bass Pro Shops, 12/20 — Free Upgrade Shipping‏‏
Harry & David, 12/19 — FREE Christmas Delivery Guaranteed! No charge for Standard OR Express Delivery!
Lillian Vernon, 12/18 — Still Get It for Christmas - Save on Expedited Shipping Plus 15% Off‏
Cabela’s, 12/18 — Save on Guaranteed Express Shipping‏
Musician’s Friend, 12/18 — Musician's Friend: Guaranteed Christmas Delivery with Budget-Friendly, Expedited Service‏
Fingerhut, 12/18 — Fingerhut: There's Still Time - Express Shipping Starts Tomorrow!‏
Coldwater Creek, 12/19 — Last 3 days: 30% off + Fleece for all (there's still time!)
J. Jill, 12/19 — There's still time to shop & save!
Sports Authority, 12/20 — Still Need a Gift? Order Now for Guaranteed Delivery & $25 Off Your Purchase!‏
HSN, 12/20 — 24-Hour Jewelry Shipping Spree! Get Gifts Home by December 24!
Lands’ End, 12/20 — Ends today: 25% off everything & Fast Free Shipping for Christmas‏‏
Dell, 12/18 — Free 2nd Business Day Shipping on Select Holiday Gifts – HDTV, GPS, and More‏
JCPenney, 12/19 — Ship Now And Upgrade To Express Shipping!
Bluefly, 12/19 — SAVE Up to 65% + $2 Two-Day Shipping – In Time for Christmas!
Petco, 12/18 — PETCO / 3 Days Only! 25% Off In-Store + 2nd Day Air for the Price of Standard!‏
TigerDirect, 12/19 — 100 Last-Minute Gifts Under $100...
Home Depot, 12/18 — Over 100 Last-Minute Gifts + Up to 50% Off Select Holiday Decor‏
Oriental Trading, 12/18 — New discounts! Save up to 75% + get free shipping‏
Orvis, 12/18 — Sure-fire winners for last-minute shoppers - it's not too late.‏
Chadwick’s, 12/18 — The Best Gift Deals under $20! The perfect present (you pick the price!)‏
Crate & Barrel, 12/18 — What's for breakfast on Christmas Day? Last Days Free Shipping.
Kmart, 12/18 — Final 2 Days Of Better Than Black Friday Prices.
TigerDirect, 12/18 — Final Black Friday: 4gb Laptop $399...24" 1080p $159...$129 PC...4" GPS $79...37" 1080p HDTV $499...$219 HP Netbook...Hurry‏
Bluefly, 12/18 — Time to Celebrate! DRESS SALE - Now Up To 70% Off + $2 Shipping!
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Week-End Trends: Retail email volume hits all-time record

Email activity and promotional trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: Top online retailers sent each of their subscribers an all-time record 4.1 promotional emails on average during the week ending Dec. 18, 2009. That’s up 11% week-over-week, up 44% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 5% year-over-year.

The build in email volume this holiday season continued to be very herky-jerky compared to recent holiday seasons. Retail email volume appeared on track to fall year-over-year for the first time since I’ve been tracking it, but a surge in emails during this final week of guaranteed Christmas delivery with standard shipping pushed volume comfortably above last year’s. Needless to say, email volume per subscriber cannot continue to rise year-over-year endlessly and I find myself wondering if 2010 will be the year when volumes level out.



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Wednesday was the most popular day to send retail emails last week. Thursday, which was Free Shipping Day, turned out to be the least popular weekday last week, but I doubt that will be the case next year as retailers look to leverage and build awareness of this day.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: This week will be the last hurrah for Christmas messaging and New Year’s messaging will start to pick up.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
Christmas (12/25): Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season, Christmas 2008 Season Finale
New Year’s (1/1): New Year’s 2009 Season Finale
Valentine’s Day (2/14): Valentine’s Day 2009 Season Finale
St. Patrick’s Day (3/17): St. Patrick’s Day 2009 Season Finale
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Ping Time: Reengagement, whitelisting requests, etc.

Our latest spin around the mediasphere turned up the following nuggets:

>>Julie Waite of Bronto Software critiques Bed Bath & Beyond’s reengagement campaign. >>Follow the ping

>>William Elliot of CheetahMail shares a case study showing the value of including whitelisting requests early on in an email relationship. >>Follow the ping to add to your address book

>>Fred Tabsharani of Port25 Solutions shares some interesting ideas about preference centers. >>Follow the ping

>>Heather Goff of Responsys shares a fun email from Fresh Pair that cut through the holiday inbox clutter. >>Follow the ping

>>Loren McDonald of Silverpop offers some sound advice on how to use benchmark data. >>Follow the ping

>>Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports shares his top 12 posts of 2009. (No. 1 is great.) >>Follow the ping

>> Tanya Hyde of Yesmail talks about developing an Early Engagement strategy. >>Follow the ping

>>Linda Bustos of Elastic Path has some good advice for registration pages, covering such topics as email opt-ins and preferences. >>Follow the ping

>>In Smith-Harmon’s latest Email Insider column, Darrah MacLean shares an example of how personalization can misstep and overstep. >>Follow the ping
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AM Inbox: Will Free Shipping Day become the next Cyber Monday?

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

J&R, 12/17 — FREE SHIPPING DAY!
Norm Thompson, 12/17 — It's Free Shipping Day + 15% off everything! Shop Top 20 Gifts.
Kudos to the folks behind Free Shipping Day for coming up with another occasion for retailers to promote at a critical time in the holiday season. Plus, retailers don’t have to do anything different to participate, because the vast majority was already offering free shipping anyway. While free standard shipping has already lapsed at some retailers, Dec. 17 was within the cutoff period for many retailers, allowing for broad participation. While part of me thinks that Free Shipping Day is much ado about nothing and hasn’t changed retailers’ behavior, another part of me thinks that Free Shipping Day could change consumer behavior if promoted vigorously. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years Free Shipping Day will enjoy success on par with Cyber Monday? However, for the time being, only two retailers—J&R and Norm Thompson—mentioned Free Shipping Day and only 48% of retailers sent one or more emails yesterday, which is not impressive retail email participation for this time of year.

J. Crew, 12/17 — ENDS TODAY. 20% off sweaters + FREE SHIPPING.
J. Crew promotes their new e-gift card offering. E-gift cards become a popular and important part of retail email messaging in the days right before Christmas, as detailed in the Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season.



Omaha Steaks, 12/17 — You could get FREE Steaks just by opening this email!
I thought Omaha Steaks was running an open-based sweepstakes in the same vein as the clickthrough-based sweeps that Neiman Marcus ran a couple of years ago (see Nov. 14, 2007 AM Inbox). However, they were doing nothing of the sort. In actuality, the subject line was simply misleading. Sure you could get free steaks, but not just by opening the email—you had to order something. Misleading subject lines like this can cause you to lose your subscribers’ trust and may even get you in trouble with authorities. I’m not a CAN-SPAM expert, but I believe there’s something in there about misleading subject lines…



Old Navy, 12/17 — Last Minute Deals + Last Chance Standard Shipping!
Old Navy promotes their Fab-u-lister Facebook app, which leverages your friend data to…well, I’m not sure exactly what it does because I couldn’t get it to work. But it’s certainly an interesting idea, which I’m sure is easier to implement in the wake of Facebook resetting all its users privacy settings so that anyone can see all their information.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Eddie Bauer, 12/17 — Last Chance This Year: Free Shipping, No Min. Purchase‏
L.L. Bean, 12/17 — Last Chance for FREE Shipping + FREE Gift Card‏
Fingerhut, 12/17 — Fingerhut: Don't Miss Out - Last Chance for FREE Shipping!
Northern Tool, 12/17 — Final Days For 12/24 Delivery w/ Standard Shipping + Last Chance Sale + Free Gift Card‏
Lane Bryant, 12/17 — Last Chance Holiday Savings: Up To 50% Off + Free Shipping‏
Toys “R” Us, 12/17 — LAST DAY for Free Shipping on ALL Toys!‏
Bluefly, 12/17 — Last Day! EXTRA 25% OFF All Sale Items + 2 Day Shipping!
The Company Store, 12/17 — Last Day - Free Upgrade on Delivery + Cozy Flannel‏
NikeStore, 12/17 — Last-Minute Gifts and Final Free Shipping Days‏
Diamond.com, 12/17 — 30% Off These 9 Fabulous Last-Minute Christmas Gifts - Plus Save 25% Site Wide‏
Crutchfield, 12/17 — Last-minute holiday savings: Thursday through Monday only‏
Lillian Vernon, 12/17 — Half Price Expedited Shipping, Plus 15% Off in Our Last Holiday Deal‏
TigerDirect, 12/17 — It's Not Too Late: New Netbook $259...Flip HD Camcorder $129...ViewSonic 23" 1080p $139...See All the Deals‏
Ralph Lauren, 12/17 — Free Shipping On All Orders + Last Minute Gifts‏
Sony, 12/17 — GREAT DEALS Stocking Stuffers + Last Minute Gifts‏
Barnes & Noble, 12/17 — 15% Online Coupon, plus 4 Days Left for Free Christmas Delivery‏
Sportsman’s Guide, 12/17 — Regular Ground Shipping Extended until 6:00 p.m CST Friday Dec. 18th. Guaranteed Dec 23rd Delivery.‏
Disney Store, 12/17 — There’s Still Time! Join Mickey and the Gang in Toyland‏
Sam’s Club, 12/17 — Get select electronics and toys in time with Premium or Express Shipping‏
Blair, 12/17 — Free shipping upgrade and up to 80% off men's‏
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AM Inbox: First time Droid mentioned in retail email

CORRECTED: 12/18

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Overstock, 12/16 — CLOSEOUTS + FREE SHIPPING‏
Overstock gives us our first reference to Droid, promoting a mobile site optimized for the mobile operating system. With Android-powered phones already outselling BlackBerrys, I’m sure this won’t be the retailer to try to leverage the growth of Droid. It surely can't be long before retailers start creating Droid versions of their iPhone apps. As mentioned in the Retail Email Guide to Multichannel Engagement, fewer than 10% of retailers have mentioned having an iPhone app in their emails. So Droid doesn’t have a ton of ground to make up in that regard.



Walgreens, 12/16 — NEW Walgreens Mobile: Refill On the Go + Print Photos‏
And speaking of mobile apps, Walgreens has released an iPhone app and mobile site.



Norm Thompson, 12/16 — Today only: SAVE 20% ON ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!‏
Earlier this week, Gretchen Scheiman of Ogilvy asked me if I’d seen retailers repeating email campaigns from last year. Besides Bluefly repurposing a subject line from 2006 (see Dec. 3 AM Inbox), I hadn’t seen anything else…until today. Norm Thompson used this same basic creative in a Dec. 10, 2007 email (see Dec. 13, 2007 AM Inbox). I loved it then and still do. I appreciate that they’ve updated some of the messaging in the email to freshen it up a little.

As I mentioned in that Dec. 3 AM Inbox, I don’t have a problem with reusing top-performing subject lines, headline, body copy or creative. In fact, I think you should be keeping a swipe file full of these to use as inspiration or the building blocks for future emails—with a heavy emphasis on the inspiration use since you don’t your emails to start looking recycled.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Sephora, 12/16 — Perk Alert: Free New Year's Eve Sparkle‏
Coach, 12/16 — Our most popular gift is...
Northern Tool, 12/16 — Final Day To Save Up To 73% On Great Gifts‏
Cabela’s, 12/16 — Dec. 17th - Last Day For FREE Shipping!
Linens ’n Things, 12/16 — Hurry, Last Day to Shop for Standard Christmas Delivery! Coupon Inside.‏
Art.com, 12/16 — The Year's BIGGEST OFFER - EXTENDED 24 Hours! Holiday Standard Shipping Ends Tomorrow!
Petco, 12/16 — PETCO Last Chance For FREE Shipping With Guaranteed Holiday Delivery!‏
Wal-Mart, 12/16 — Only 2 Days Left for Free Shipping‏
Eddie Bauer, 12/16 — Up to 50% Off & Last 2 Days Free Ship, No Min. + Daily Deal‏
Bass Pro Shops, 12/16 — Hurry - Time's Running out for Standard Delivery‏
NFLshop, 12/16 — Get It There By 12/24 + Free Shipping on Orders Over $50‏
eBags, 12/16 — Final Days for 20% Off + Free Shipping - At your door 12/24‏
Abercrombie & Fitch, 12/16 — Get your A&F gift by Christmas!
HSN, 12/16 — Still Need Gifts? Free Shipping, New Gifts & More Found Here!‏
Bluefly, 12/16 — OMG! Need a Gift? Extra 25% Off All Sale Items!
Neiman Marcus, 12/16 — Need a DESIGNER GIFT? Here are some hints + Free online rush delivery at ANY PRICE‏
Crutchfield, 12/16 — Making a list? Get a FREE Xbox or FREE Blu-ray HT this Holiday‏
Home Depot, 12/16 — Fast Shipping on Last Minute Gifts + Last Day for 10% Off LG Appliances‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/16 — Last-Minute Gifts come with FREE Gift Wrap + Free online rush delivery at ANY PRICE‏
Lillian Vernon, 12/16 — Last Chance of 2009 to Get 20% Off Your Order!
Sears, 12/16 — Last Chance! Exclusive Online Only Savings Ends Today!‏
Crate & Barrel, 12/16 — Making spirits (the drinking kind) brighter. Free Shipping details...
Barnes & Noble, 12/16 — Save up to 90% on Used Textbooks‏
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AM Inbox: Repetition is key. The key is repetition.

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Sears, 12/15 — Hurry, savings end soon! Enter coupon code EXCLUSIVE‏
Especially during the holidays, people are in a hurry. Make it easy for them to take action. This Sears email provides a great example of reiterating the main call-to-action so there’s no confusion on what to do. They include the coupon code in the subject line—so you don’t even have to open the email to take advantage of the offer—and then again in the preheader message and body copy. Plus, they include SWYN links to subscribers can share the code with their friends and family members. The only thing they could have done to make this email more easily shareable was to render more of the body copy in HTML text. In the current design, only the code is HTML text.



Kohl’s, 12/15 — Starts today! Save an EXTRA 30%, 20% or 15%
Kohl’s is supporting their sale messaging with testimonials from customers who saved a lot on their holiday shopping. To encourage story-sharing, Kohl’s is offering up the chance to win a $100 gift card. That’s a very small price to pay for a more well-rounded message with human appeal.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
1-800-Flowers, 12/15 — Free Holiday Shipping Upgrade‏
Blair, 12/15 — We'll upgrade your order for free!‏
The Company Store, 12/15 — Upgrade to Ultra Warmth & Express Delivery‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/15 — TWO DAYS ONLY! Save an EXTRA 30% OFF Last Call Online Clearance + Free online rush delivery at ANY PRICE‏
Orvis, 12/15 — Guaranteed Christmas delivery. Last chance to order.‏
Cooking.com, 12/15 — Last Chance: Get Your Gifts in Time + Gift Certificates‏
Lillian Vernon, 12/15 — Last Chance this Year for 20% Off with Our 5th Special‏
Macy’s, 12/15 — The last One Day Sale before Christmas... Save on thousands of gifts now!
Gap, 12/15 — Our Last Hoorah: Get 25% Off Your Online Purchase, 2 Days Only
Montgomery Ward, 12/15 — Need Guaranteed Holiday Delivery? No Problem!‏
Drs. Foster & Smith, 12/15 — Hurry! There's Still Time to Order!‏
Newegg, 12/15 — Our Biggest Holiday Sale Starts Now!
Ann Taylor, 12/15 — Our Favorite Gifts + New Markdowns Added!‏
Sports Authority, 12/15 — Holiday Gift Ideas + Guaranteed Delivery & Free Shipping on Thousands of Items‏
Office Depot, 12/15 — Light Up the Holidays with these Smart Last Minute Gifts!
Spiegel, 12/15 — Over 45 Perfect Presents, ALL UNDER $25!
Bloomingdale’s, 12/15 — Holiday Treasures Under $100‏
Ralph Lauren, 12/15 — One Of A Kind Gifts‏
Brookstone, 12/15 — Discover this year's hottest holiday gifts plus FREE Sitewide Shipping!
TigerDirect, 12/15 — 48 Hour Holiday Liquidation Event: New Laptop $349...New PC $189...New 19" LCD $99...New 10mp Camera $69‏
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AM Inbox: Who's crazy enough to relaunch their site in the middle of December?

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Staples, 12/14 — Check out our new look!
I really like the overlay treatment that Staples uses to show off the new look of their website. I haven’t seen anyone else use this approach before and think it’s a pretty straightforward and intuitive way to explain things. On the other hand, why on earth are they changing the look of their website in the middle of the holiday season?! I pray they didn’t have any IT snafus because of this.



Overstock, 12/14 — LIQUIDATIONS + FREE SHIPPING‏
Overstock is the second retailer this year to mention Kwanzaa; the first was 1-800-Flowers.com in an email yesterday. As far as I know, no major retailer mentioned it last year and only Alibris mentioned it in 2007.



Ralph Lauren, 12/12 — Presenting The World's First Make Your Own Fashion Show‏
Ralph Lauren promotes their Make Your Own Fashion Show site in this email. Interesting concept, although the customization seems pretty narrow. Now if you could design the outfits to some degree that would be cool and much stickier.



SmartBargains, 12/12 — Best of BLACK FRIDAY COUPONS & FREE SHIPPING
SmartBargains, 12/12 — COUPONS & FREE SHIPPING EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT
SmartBargains was apparently doing a subject line A/B test with this email and had problems with the segmentation.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Home Depot, 12/14 — Hurry, Final Day for Standard Delivery on Great Holiday Gifts‏
Art.com, 12/14 — The Year's BIGGEST OFFER - 48 Hours Only! 3 Days Left on Holiday Standard Shipping!‏
PC Connection, 12/12 — Only 48Hrs Left To Ship Your Order Free In Time for December 25th!‏
Norm Thompson, 12/12 — Last huge deal of the year: 25% OFF EVERYTHING!
eBags, 12/12 — Last Days for Holiday Double Deal‏
J. Jill, 12/12 — Check your list. Free shipping & extra savings end Tuesday!‏
TigerDirect, 12/12 — Super Saturday Specials & Guaranteed Delivery by Christmas Eve‏
TigerDirect, 12/13 — HUGE HDTV Savings + Free Shipping...Order Now for Delivery Before Christmas‏
Art.com, 12/12 — 22% off Thousands of Gifts - There is Still Time!
Cabela’s, 12/14 — There's still time! Get it shipped FREE by Christmas.
Petco, 12/12 — PETCO There's Still Time To Save! On Time Delivery + FREE Shipping!‏
Orvis, 12/13 — 1500+ Sale Items - shipped in time for the holidays!
Alloy, 12/14 — Free Shipping Over $25 + Get it by Christmas‏
Bloomingdale’s, 12/12 — Tis The Season To Give Great Gifts + 20-40% Off‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/12 — The gift of GUCCI + Free online rush delivery at ANY PRICE‏
B&H Photo Video, 12/14 — Free Expedited Shipping on All Nikon and Canon Cameras + Specials on Camcorders, iPod Nanos & More‏
Norm Thompson, 12/14 — 25% OFF ENDS TONIGHT. And it won't be back in '09.‏
The Company Store, 12/12 — Santa's worked his magic - 15% Off‏
Kohl’s, 12/12 — Christmas Countdown: 40-50% Off Sweaters‏
Fingerhut, 12/14 — Fingerhut: Countdown to Christmas + FREE Shipping!
Eddie Bauer, 12/12 — Holiday Sale: Up to 50% Off + Daily Deal Free Shipping‏
Lillian Vernon, 12/12 — 15% Off on Top of the Big Sale Ends Today, Don't Miss Out!‏
Chadwick’s, 12/13 — Gifts starting at just 6.99! Shop CLEARANCE today‏
Blue Nile, 12/14 — Top 10 Holiday Gifts + 10% Off & Free Shipping‏
1-800-Flowers.com, 12/12 — Feast on 30 Tasty Christmas Gifts under $30‏
Ralph Lauren, 12/14 — Something For Everyone: Our Favorites Under $100‏
Ann Taylor, 12/14 — Shop Our Gifts Under $50 + Free Shipping!
Crate & Barrel, 12/14 — Crate and Barrel holiday sweets $19.95 (and less). Free Shipping details...
Cabela’s, 12/13 — Holiday Footwear Sale + FREE Shipping @ Cabelas.com‏
HSN, 12/12 — Gift Hunting? Free Shipping, New Gifts & More Found Here!
Hanna Andersson, 12/12 — Tops Starting At Just $10 - Great Gifts They'll Wear All Season‏
Nordstrom, 12/12 — The North Face: Cold-Weather Comfort & Joy Free Holiday Shipping (Details Inside)
JC Whitney, 12/14 — Your Ride's Wish List Accessories Plus 20% Off - Ends Wednesday!
Brookstone, 12/12 — FREE Sitewite Shipping + Gifts for him, gifts for her—we’ve got gifts for everyone!
TigerDirect, 12/14 — World's Sexiest $399 Laptop...Just In Time For Christmas‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/14 — Accessory gifts that make the bag + Free online rush delivery at ANY PRICE‏
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AM Inbox: First reference to New Year's

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:

Williams-Sonoma, 12/9 — Special Holiday Offer: 4 Bonus Bottles of Bubbly with Your Wine Club Order‏
Williams-Sonoma gives us our first reference to the New Year. There won’t be many other references this week, but next week references to New Year’s will pick up. For ideas and insights to help you plan your New Year’s campaigns, check out the 2009 New Year’s Season Finale.



J&R, 12/10 — We've gone BACK 2 BLACK! Black Friday Prices All Weekend Long!
For the past three weeks, over 9% of retail emails have included animated gifs. This one from J&R is fun, gets your attention in the preview pane, and supports the message of the email.



Sony, 12/9 — Trade-in and SAVE This Holiday Season ENDS 12/24‏
In addition to retailers offering layaways, payment plans and deferred payments, Sony gives us another example of how retailers are trying to make spending more palatable to cash-strapped consumers.



SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject lines
Linens ’n Things, 12/9 — Hurry, December 17th is the Last Day to Shop for Standard Christmas Delivery!
Costco, 12/10 — 15 Shopping Days Until Christmas! Find Gifts Galore at Prices You'll Adore!
Coldwater Creek, 12/11 — Only 2 more weeks! 30% off EVERYTHING. Wrap it up!
L.L. Bean, 12/10 — FREE Shipping + Wrap Up Your Holiday Shopping‏
Kmart, 12/10 — 2 Days Of Better Than Black Friday Prices Joe Boxer Fleece Just $5‏
Lillian Vernon, 12/9 — Get $10 Off Your Entire Order with the Best Holiday Deals' 2nd Offer!
Lillian Vernon, 12/11 — Shop the Sale & Get an Additional 15% Off with Holiday Special #3‏
Lane Bryant, 12/9 — On My 10th Day Of Shopping Lane Bryant Offered Me: 50% Off Holiday Dresses‏
Lane Bryant, 12/10 — On My 11th Day Of Shopping Lane Bryant Offered Me: Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Tops‏
Lane Bryant, 12/11 — On My 12th Day Of Shopping Lane Bryant Offered Me: Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Sitewide‏
Blair, 12/9 — Today you enjoy TWO big deals and free shipping‏
Blair, 12/10 — Day 10: Cozy Gifts and Free Shipping‏
Blair, 12/11 — Take an extra 25% off clearance with today's deal‏
ShopNBC, 12/9 — Day Seven Primo for the Vino‏
ShopNBC, 12/10 — Day Eight Shades of Spectacular‏
ShopNBC, 12/11 — Day Nine Movado moves closer‏
HP, 12/9 — 12 Days of Gifts - Day 7‏
HP, 12/10 — 12 Days of Gifts - Day 8‏
HP, 12/11 — 12 Days of Gifts - ENDS SOON!‏
Fingerhut, 12/10 — Fingerhut: Countdown to Christmas Day 10 - Get a FREE GIFT!‏
Avon, 12/10 — FREE SHIPPING during Avon's 12 Days of Christmas Event‏
Staples, 12/9 — One day holideal - Hurry Wednesday 12/9 ONLY!
1-800-Flowers.com, 12/9 — Only $24.99 each, your choice of two holiday hits‏
Omaha Steaks, 12/9 — FREE SHIPPING 4 FREE GIFTS Gifts starting at $19.99‏
Orvis, 12/9 — The perfect last-minute gift-giving solution. 65+ timepieces from Orvis.
Coach, 12/9 — Perfect presents: $198 handbags‏
Crate & Barrel, 12/9 — Need a sweet gift for the Chocoholic? Free Shipping details...‏
Hanna Andersson, 12/10 — Nick Of Time Savings On Organic Long Johns & Sleepers!‏
Sam’s Club, 12/10 — Shop today for holiday savings on electronics‏
Macy’s, 12/10 — FREE SHIPPING + GREAT SAVINGS on gifts for her!
JC Whitney, 12/10 — Holiday Offer So Good - You'll Need To Take A Seat!‏
Crate & Barrel, 12/11 — Impressive gifts for $30 (and lots less!). Free Shipping details...
Old Navy, 12/10 — Save 20% + $5, $10, $15 Gifts‏
Brookstone, 12/10 — Shop our top gifts by price and let Brookstone make giving easy Plus FREE Sitewide Shipping!‏
JCPenney, 12/9 — Over 1,200 Gifts Are Here At Very Merry Prices!
Norm Thompson, 12/9 — Today Only - 15% off more than 500 great gifts!‏
Coldwater Creek, 12/9 — $30 off + Free Shipping. Check your list now & SAVE!
Bluefly, 12/9 — Now Up To 55% Off The PERFECT Gift! EXTRA 15% OFF Our Gift Finder - Today Only!‏
Saks Fifth Avenue, 12/9 — Your Holiday Style is Here‏
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 12/9 — Looking for a gift? We've got something for everyone!
Oriental Trading, 12/10 — Get everything under the tree shipped for FREE (no minimum)
Norm Thompson, 12/11 — 25% OFF ENTIRE WEBSITE - no ifs, ands or buts!‏
Chadwick’s, 12/11 — On Sale Now: Top-Selling Gifts! Plus FREE cardigan & more!
Orvis, 12/11 — The best gifts of 2009 - shop our Top-Rated Gifts collection.‏
J. Crew, 12/11 — Up to 30% off your order - our gift to you. 3 days & online only.
Gap, 12/9 — Get 20% Off Gifts with Your Holiday Shopping Pass - Online Only
SmartBargains, 12/11 — Reveal your extra 15%-25% SECRET SANTA savings!
Brookstone, 12/9 — Discover fun and unique stocking stuffers Plus FREE Sitewide Shipping‏
Diamond.com, 12/9 — Stocking Stuffers for as low as $44 Plus Free Shipping on all Orders‏
Costco, 12/11 — Experience the Holiday in High Definition - Save Up to $400 on Proscan HDTVs‏
Neiman Marcus, 12/9 — Free gift wrap + Free Online Shipping at any price‏
Harry & David, 12/9 — Tasty SAVINGS: 20% OFF all gifts - no minimum!
Neiman Marcus, 12/9 — Burberry Gift Picks + Free online shipping at ANY PRICE‏
The Company Store, 12/9 — Give a Gift, Get a Gift - Free $25 Gift Card‏
Northern Tool, 12/9 — Shop Our Clearance Section for Great Gift Ideas & Save + Free Gift Card‏
Toys “R” Us, 12/10 — Santa's Super Fri & Sat 2 Day Sale, Dec. 11 & 12 Only! Big Deals on the Hottest Toys!‏
Cooking.com, 12/9 — Retro Holiday Recipes: Cheese Fondue, Deviled Eggs + More‏
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Week-End Trends: On pace for lower peak holiday email volume

Email activity and promotional trends during the past week:

The Retail Email Index: The average weekly promotional email volume sent by top online retailers to each of their subscribers rose 1% week-over-week to 3.7 emails during the week ending Dec. 11, 2009. It’s up 30% from where it was four weeks ago and it’s up 8% year-over-year (moving 4-week average versus comparable 4-week moving average last year).

Based on how volume is trending, it appears that this week's peak weekly retail email volume will be lower year-over-year for the first time this year. Actually, it will be first time since I began tracking retailers’ email campaigns in 2006 that volume declined year-over-year. That wouldn’t be a bad thing…



The Retail Email Participation Rate: Monday, which was Cyber Monday 2, was the most popular day to send retail emails last week.



The Retail Email Seasonality Meter: This week should be the last hurrah for the holiday season, with New Year’s references building starting next week.



Selling Seasons on the Horizon:
Christmas (12/25): Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season, Christmas 2008 Season Finale
New Year’s (1/1): New Year’s 2009 Season Finale
Valentine’s Day (2/14): Valentine’s Day 2009 Season Finale
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