What's new in online holiday shopping

“We’re putting an emphasis on our customer loyalty,” he said. “We’re trying to reach out to our best customers.”

Wal-Mart, which had some online-only specials last season, will have even more this season, Peters said, “and other retailers will be doing the same.”

Wal-Mart also is pushing its “Site to Store” service, in which customers can order products from the retail giant’s Web site that aren’t available in its stores, then have the items shipped at no charge to a store nearest the customer for pickup.

Shoppers should also find it easier to navigate sites this season, with many retailers investing in improved search tools for gift hunters.

“What retailers have found is that their search capabilities were not adequate,” said Peters of InternetRetailer.com.

“Sometimes the search was only searching on a word – for example, winter jacket — not on the other aspects that helps customers refine their search,” such as brand.

More than half of retailers said they “will increase their efforts with search engines, in spite of rising costs” to do so, JupiterResearch said in its report, “U.S. Online Retail Holiday Forecast, 2007,” released in October.

Jana O’Leary, Target spokesperson, said the company has “recently added some technical improvements” to its Web site “which provide simpler navigation for guests.”

That includes detailed product information, which lets consumers “shop for products by searching by a specific detail, such as color or shape,” she said.

“For example, when searching for a sweater, the guest can search by sleeve length and style.”

There’s also “Quick Info,” a pop-up window feature that allows shoppers to mouse over a product to “retrieve basic details without having to click on the product link,” O’Leary said.

And, rather than call the store to see if an item is in stock, customers can search for an item at Target’s Web site to see if it’s available at their local store, based on ZIP code, she said.

The Web will also be a place where shoppers can personalize items such as gift cards.

At Target.com, you can choose from dozens of designs, including a gift card with a dreidel on it that says, “Happy Hanukkah,” or one for a teacher that says, “A-plus teacher” in the design of candy cane.

Starbucks.com is charging $4 to personalize cards, with designs ranging from a customer’s regular drink order on the card to “My Story,” showing a Starbucks customer – personalized as to setting (inside Starbucks, outside Starbucks, beach, park and so on), as well as gender and attributes such as glasses or no glasses, clothing (T shirt? Crew neck or V-neck, for example), as well as other features.

One thing shoppers likely won’t see from Web retailers this season is many offers of free gift-wrapping.

“A small percentage of people take advantage of it, and retailers haven’t really pushed it,” said Peters.

“If you’re shipping remotely, then it’s nice to have a present gift-wrapped, but it’s not a make-or-break deal” for most consumers, he said.

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