Empanadas at Williams-Sonoma, via their website: eight "ready to serve" pastries on sale for $29.99, originally $49.99, plus tax and shipping, and a few days for delivery and defrosting.
Empanadas at Ruben's Empanadas in Manhattan: $3.50 each, or eight for $28 plus a tip for the deliveryman, for freshly made, piping-hot empanadas.
I wonder why Williams-Sonoma needs a clearance sale for theirs.
USA Today: Retailers gear up for Cyber Monday. "Almost three-quarters [72%] of Internet retailers will offer special deals on Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday online shopping season, a National Retail Federation survey out today shows."
BusinessWire: ''Black Friday'' & ''Cyber Monday'' Play Crucial Roles in Holiday Shopping Season According to BDO Seidman, LLP Survey of CMOs. "According to CMOs ... a majority (59%) of retailers say they are not conducting any special promotions to encourage customers to buy online."
This is corporate conflict in a nutshell: the Internet is a still-growing retail force warranting holiday promos like the rest of the retail world. Yet retailers are loath to intentionally drive consumers online, potentially decreasing foot traffic and same-store sales, and angering field sales staff.
Savvy retailers already know the best bet is to encourage purchasing via any channel, be it in-store, online, or over the phone. In time the rest of the industry will catch on.
(This kind of observation will soon find a home on the Ai blog, which will be relaunching in December with me as a contributor. See you there.)