It’s Free Shipping Day!
Made-up shopping holiday began in 2008.
If you only shop online when there’s free shipping, mark Friday on your calendar.
It’s the 10th annual Free Shipping Day, and hundreds of retailers are expected to waive shipping fees on all orders.
Internet entrepreneur Luke Knowles started the made-up shopping holiday in 2008, and it has grown in popularity each year. Last year, more than 1,200 retailers participated.
While it’s common for retailers to lower order minimums for shipping during the holiday season, offering free shipping on any size order is rare.
Yet to be included on the day’s official website, www.freeshippingday.com, a retailer agrees to offer free shipping on all orders.
Stores already signed up include Barnes & Noble, Bass Pro Shops, Kohl’s, Staples, Ulta, JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, Office Depot, Sephora, Shoe Carnival, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, Walmart, World Market and many more.
Lindsay Sakraida, director of content marketing for DealNews.com, believes Free Shipping Day has lost some of its appeal.
Target and Best Buy already have been offering free shipping on all orders for several weeks and several other stores have lowered thresholds.
“In some ways, Free Shipping Day is fairly insignificant because so many stores are offering free shipping throughout the month and especially the week before Christmas, where we start to see stores offer free or highly discounted expedited shipping,” Sakraida said.
Still, it’s a good day to shop since the day corresponds with FedEx’s ground shipping deadline for orders for shipment before Christmas.