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Online stores fight Amazon for piece of retail pie

By WTOP Staff

MAE ANDERSON
AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com’s low prices and seemingly endless array of goods have made it the biggest online retailer in the U.S., commanding about 20 percent of all e-commerce. The company is projected to have over $89 billion in revenue this year. Its massive success has driven other sites to offer similar perks and deals to woo customers and hold on to their piece of the retail pie. Some retailers now even offer to match Amazon’s prices to try to win your business.

That’s good news for shoppers. So if you’re searching for anything from beauty products to books, here’s a look at some Amazon-like deals to take advantage of:

USED OR NEW — AND CHEAP!

An old standby that may offer more than you think is eBay. Though it made its name as the world’s biggest auction site, it has expanded in recent years to host a vast array of new and used merchandise from third-party sellers, often for flat prices.

“We don’t see a lot of people going to eBay as their first stop in the way we see people going to Amazon,” said Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. “But there’s an opportunity for people to find the same items they’re looking for at different retailers.”

Other one-stop shopping discount sites include Overstock.com, which offers retailers’ excess inventory, ranging from mattresses to clothing and gifts. Another option is the little-known Aliexpress.com, a site operated by Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba.com. The site offers Chinese goods to shoppers in the U.S. and some other countries. And while quality varies, the prices are definitely hard to beat. Or check out Rakuten.com, a similar site from Japan that delivers to other countries.

PRICE MATCH

Best Buy, Target, Staples, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Home Depot, Office Depot, Office Max all price match Amazon.com items. (Some exclude marketplace goods, and most matching is limited to in-store items, not online). Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said Thursday it is considering matching Amazon’s online prices as it gears up for the all-important holiday shopping season.

FREE SHIPPING

One of the biggest perks of the $99 annual Amazon loyalty program is free two-day shipping on many items. Retailers are increasingly taking a page and offering to ship you goods at no charge.

ShopRunner.com, which partners with many retailers to offer free two-day shipping, is a good alternative, says Mark LoCastro, a spokesman at Dealnews.com. You pay an annual $79 membership. And ShopRunner works with major retailers such as Neiman Marcus and American Eagle and smaller brands such as the NFL Shop and Beauty.com.

A service by Sears and Kmart called Shop Your Way Max also offers free two-day shipping for a $39 annual charge that follows a 90-day free trial.

Another option, if you’ve got the coin: Shop luxury, LoCastro says. Many upscale stores such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom offer free shipping with no minimum purchase.

Or wait until the November-December holiday shopping season. At least 41 percent of retailers plan to offer free shipping, according to ChannelAdvisor.

CONSULT THE SPECIALISTS

Category-specific sites can have deals, too. For books, check out independent sites including Alibris.com and Powells.com. Niche toy stores online such as Fatbraintoys.com or Melissaanddoug.com offer a wide range of toys. Electronics stores like Newegg.com can offer deals on gadgets.

But how do you know that you are actually getting a good price? Use a price-comparison service. Pricegrabber.com, Shopzilla.com, Google Shopping and eBay’s Decide.com all can help you weigh how good the deals are.

GROCERIES ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Amazon.com Inc. offers same-day grocery delivery service in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Brooklyn, with free delivery on orders over $35 for Prime members who pay the $299 annual fee for the loyalty program plus the delivery service.

But if you don’t live in one of those cities, don’t despair.

Instacart offers a service in about 15 cities that lets you shop online, and then have the food delivered from local grocery stores like Whole Foods, Costco and Kroger. It costs $3.99 for two-hour delivery and $5.99 for one-hour delivery when you spend $35 or more.

Google Express offers a similar service that includes stores like Costco and local grocery stores for $10 a month or $95 a year, with free delivery for orders over $15. It currently serves parts of California, New York and Los Angeles and recently added Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

Peapod operates in East Coast and Midwestern states; it costs $9.95 to deliver orders under $100 and $6.95 for orders over $100. And major grocery store operators such as Kroger and Publix are testing programs that let you shop online and pick up the items at stores.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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