Sunday, November 20, 2005

Christmas Shopping?

Slow to Convert, A Shopper Warms To Web Bargains
All in all, though, comparison shopping has gotten big for a reason. It works, most of the time, and because the Internet allows consumers to post reviews, it's a well-policed marketplace.

And it doesn't take much sophistication to learn a few basic tricks. Most of this involves the art of comparison shopping.

Last year, for example, I bought a digital camera from PriceGrabber.com, after my friend Julie had bought the camera I wanted at full price from the store. I typed in the brand and model number, and up came a list of prices and Web sites selling the same camera, for roughly $100 less.

I've since come across several similar comparison sites, like Shopzilla.com, Google's Froogle, and Yahoo Shopping, which perform such bargain-hunting services. In fact, there are dizzying arrays of options on the Web for nearly every product imaginable. In the process of looking for boutique dog collars, for example, I ran into sites called Pamperedpuppy.com, Thepamperedpup.com, and Classypets.com, as well as a link to an eBay auction for a light-blue Coach leather collar, a different kind of online shopping experience.

Good stuff ends up on the Internet at low prices because it's an efficient way to get rid of excess inventory. That's the idea behind Overstock.com, which a Washington Post colleague introduced me to long before they started airing prime-time television ads.
I added the links, also check coupons and discounts to add to Overstock low prices. Also check out eBay's retail sister half.com and a retailer who has been undercutting Amazon.com prices - Buy.com.

ADDED - Might as well mention Fry's Outpost and NewEgg for great electronic deals.

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