To All - A Hands-On Egghead Update
1) As a Vendor representative to Egghead (OnSale), I can tell you that rates of customer ordering Nov-Dec were extraordinarily higher than last year. Same item sales were at least double.
Additionally there was a lot more merchandise, in a lot of new categories which were not even there in either Egghead or OnSale, last year. Dollar value was also much higher in many categories. However, the computer area will be the decisive number and I am not involved in that area this year. I do know that general comments are that business was super.
2) To the posting which questioned numbers, relative to pre-merger seperate entities, vs quotes today, Egghead management has been consistent and careful to quote with previous numbers totaled for both companies, including visitor numbers.
3) Comment about the Post Y2K computer buying frenzy which should occur is very valid. I even have personal friends waiting to buy PC's until after the first of 2000. And, we have the traditional "year-end" bonus, tax "write-off", and holiday cash gift phenomenons which always plus sales into the first quarter.
4) Watch for Egghead's superior customer service to be the key factor competitively, next year. I bought from four e-tailers this year, and was only happy with two of them. One, BrandsMall, was totally bogus. Wrong item shipped, and too late for xmas, etc. I bought a duplicate from retail, and then just called my credit card and cancelled the charge.I'll return when they send me a prepaid call tag.
We consumers are not going to put up with bad service anymore than we do at regular retail.
5) The "triple last year numbers quotes" for e-business may even be conservative. Source of data, no lines in stores, and parking lot spaces available. Maybe a little amateur, but still may be accurate. We'll see.
Happy Holidays to all.
Still continuing long on Egghead and buying more in January when finances allow.
Don |
