Best Buy offers free shipping for online orders until Christmas

Krystina Gustafson
Updated
Getty Images. Some, like utilities, gas and electric companies, paid only 3.1 percent in taxes on their domestic income over the last eight years.

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) is bringing back free shipping for the holidays.

For the second year in a row, the electronics retailer will eliminate its typical $35 minimum order requirement for shoppers to receive complimentary deliveries.

The decision, which is likely to be mimicked by other retailers, comes as Best Buy seeks to "remove barriers for customers who want to shop with us," spokesman Jeff Shelman told CNBC.

"While we have a very competitive shipping threshold the rest of the year and people can always buy online and pick up in a nearby Best Buy store, this is an opportunity for people to not have to worry about shipping prices as we head into the holidays," he said.

A recent survey by Accenture found that shipping costs are the biggest frustration among online shoppers, with 62 percent listing them as the biggest deterrent from buying items online.

Jill Standish, senior managing director of retail at Accenture, told CNBC earlier this month that she expected free shipping offers to pick up soon, in what she expects will be another competitive season.

"They're starting to play the promotion game," she said.

Best Buy is the first major retailer to eliminate its holiday shipping threshold, though others are expected to follow suit.

Black Friday deal-tracking website BFAds said last week that Target (NYSE: TGT) will once again offer free shipping with no minimum order requirement, starting Oct. 30. A spokeswoman for Target said the company does not respond to rumors on its holiday plans before they've been announced.

Best Buy's promotion runs through Christmas Eve.



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