Inside the Twisted Multichannel Mind
Here’s a consumer’s multichannel dilemma: I lost my favorite blusher (it was accidentally flushed down the toilet if you must know), and I need to buy another one ASAP. I really love this brand, but the only local merchant I know that carries it at retail is Sephora. And the nearest Sephora store is about 20 miles away.
If I go to the store, I’ll have immediate gratification, plus I won’t have to pay the shipping and handling charge, which ranges from $5.95 for ground to $21.95 for overnight express service. But that’s going to be time consuming and annoying.
If I order the blush online, I’ll have to pay said shipping charges, plus it will take at least two days to get here, since today is Friday. Going online to check the S&H reminds me that Sephora.com lets you pick three free samples. That’s fun—perhaps it will offset the S&H.
I should note that if I had a Sephora catalog handy, I probably would have just picked up the phone and placed my order. (Going online gives people like me more time to ponder the S&H charges and abandon my cart while I think things over.) But I don’t.
The verdict: If today were Monday or Tuesday I would order online for delivery before the weekend. But since it’s Friday, I’ll go to the store over the weekend. (Another bonus: Sephora lets you test colors on your skin, so visiting the stores is “experiental.”) And once I’m there, I’ll probably end up spending more than I would have online.
As for today, if you see me looking extra pale, now you know why: It isn’t just for Halloween. But if people mistake me for a ghost, I’ll go with it.
