02 Sep 2004 | -b- said...

Nice! What a great resource and well timed. We're adding new items to our shopping cart and updated our site for the holidays.

02 Sep 2004 | LNJ said...

Yes, it is a good idea, but just evil. It's reminds me of the malls that put up Xmas trees last month to get people into the Xmas spirit.

Just the thoughts...

I'll be in the shower.

02 Sep 2004 | Don Schenck said...

"Evil"?

Here's a novel idea: Ignore the web site. You want more? Avoid the malls.

Tune out the crass commercialism and enjoy the holiday.

02 Sep 2004 | Don Schenck said...

LNJ: I didn't mean for my message to sound like an attack against you. I meant it in general terms.

02 Sep 2004 | JF said...

Evil? Wow.

This is just a site packed with ideas for e-commerce retailers. We're not selling anything -- we're just displaying some best practices and techniques that retailers have used over the past few years to make online holiday shopping a little easier and more reliable.

And, if you're serious about holiday e-commerce, you better start thinking about these things now (or earlier) and not in November. That's why we published this today.

02 Sep 2004 | nathan said...

great resource, but it makes me miss Design Not Found *sniffle*

02 Sep 2004 | Jamie said...

Jason, have you guys thought about adding a second level of side nav to the e-commerce ideas site? In other words, if I click on "Gift Finders/Choosing a Price Range" I can also get to the sibling topics under "Gift Finders"?

02 Sep 2004 | engelgrafik said...

If you do a little bit of research, you'll find that as long as people have been celebrating Christmas in the way we do today--which started in the late 1800s--commercialism has been deeply entrenched.

Turning Christmas into a huge national holiday full of festivities and gift-giving was CREATED by commercialism and the department stores.

Prior to the late 1800s, Christmas was nowhere near as important as Easter. In fact, most people worked on Christmas.

It wasn't until we got the days off, thanks to the Italian and Irish in the big cities that were trying to unionize labor and demand more rights, that folks got serious about Christmas. And the stores started selling toys, Christmas trees, food and drink to Americans.

So, if you want a "traditional" Christmas, go to work and have a quite night of worship on Christmas Eve.

Otherwise, just grin and bear it. As stressful as it is, I love American Christmases. We have all the best of all the "old traditions". :)

02 Sep 2004 | TL said...

Hey there -

Just wondering why site doesn't provide a "local" navigation system that would let people move "horizontally" across pages in a topic area?

For example, in the "Gift Finders" area there doesn't appear to be a way to go directly from the "Choosing A Price Range" page to the "What Does She Like To Do?" page.

Likewise, in the the "Gift Cards and Certificates" area one cannot go directly from "Corporate Card" to "Paper and Plastic."

Is your expectation that people will use the back button, global nav, or hierarchical nav (i.e. "breadcrumb trail") to go back to the table of contents?

I'm sure you've thought this through, but I gotta think a lot of people will want to read all of the pages in a topic area and the examples above don't seem to support this without "pogosticking," so I'd love to hear the design rationale.

Any comment appreciated.

TL
toddlevy [at] hotmail [dot] com

P.S. Hope this isn't perceived as nit-picking. The site is a great resource and obviously the price is right!

02 Sep 2004 | Benjy said...

If you do a little bit of research, you'll find that as long as people have been celebrating Christmas in the way we do today--which started in the late 1800s--commercialism has been deeply entrenched.

In fact, Coca-Cola even invented the Santa Claus we typically see today -- the jolly fat man with white beard and red & white suit. Prior to that, Santa Claus was a more Pope-like figure, which is still more prevalent in Europe.

02 Sep 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Sorry, Benjy ... I thought that too ... but apparently it's an Urban Myth.

02 Sep 2004 | ouch! my eyes! said...

Not liking the mongo sized type - at least knock it down a few notches...

02 Sep 2004 | ML said...

Re: navigation issues...The site is still being tweaked. We just wanted to launch ASAP since many e-commerce sites are probably already knee deep in holiday planning. Stay tuned.

02 Sep 2004 | LNJ said...

JF, Don, Et Al.

Tune it out and all that... I know. :) It's just how bog it's all seemed to get in the years since I was a wee one. Xmas season used to start in LATE November, now, it seems to start in June. Mayhap it's perception since I'm not a kid any more. Just the thought of 100 some odd days until Xmas... How about 1 month until Xmas, have a cookie and some cheer! Just wanting to rant it more than anything else.

As mentioned, it's a great idea. Applications EVERYwhere. 30 days to basecamp, 30 days til the hot summer movie, 30 days till the new puff dad album, whatever, it's a great application. The fact that Xmas was the first thought and attached to it, just struck me odd. Besides, I allow myself to be tongue in cheek and a bit more cynical and sarcastic than normal here. Thanks for tollerating.

02 Sep 2004 | LNJ said...

just how bog it's

Should read: 'just how big it's'- damnedable qwerty keyboard and stupid fingers.

03 Sep 2004 | bill said...

Great list!!

I was glad to see Fogdog.com, Kmart and Tweeter in your list as the design team at GSI Commerce spent a crazy amount of time on "holidayizing" the 4 dozen plus e-commerce sites were ran.

It always unnerved me that we would change logos and colors of the site's backgrounds and such, thinking it would make customer realize that Xmas was coming.

People dont need to be reminded that xmas is coming on an e-commerce site as they already know it and are shopping online to stay away from the crowded shopping malls.

I was at GSI for 2 holiday cycles and I think we learned that the holidayizing doesnt really do much, and what really works is the special gift shops and price categories. I think the most useful holiday features are the Guarenteed to Get There/Calendar features. This really worked increasing sales which usually slump after the 19th of december, adding a nice chunk to the quarter's sales, thanks to procrastinators.

04 Sep 2004 | evil said...

what's next on the 37signals self promotion agenda? this attempt to generate traffic for your own product promos is pretty transparent even for you...

04 Sep 2004 | Jose Rui Fernandes said...

Great site, great idea. If it generates traffic, good. That's with 37s hard work.
Regarding Christmas, wasn't it "stolen" from the pagans from the north (and most of the catholic holidays)?
Don: How do you guys have always great links under your keyboard, regarding all subjects imaginable?

07 Sep 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Evil -- Uh ... this is their blog.

Jose -- One word: Google.

07 Sep 2004 | Jose Rui Fernandes said...

Don: I know that. But you were already suspicious about the Coca-Cola alleged creation? I mean, I'm not google-checking everything I read here.

07 Sep 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Jose ... I read a lot. Seriously.

08 Sep 2004 | Jose Rui Fernandes said...

I believe, I believe! I read a lot too. Actually, I think nothing replaces a good book (this is a good topic!).

08 Sep 2004 | evil said...

uh... you really miss the point, don.

yes, it's their blog. but the goal is to generate additional links via every other blog and site out there to their "free holiday tips" site. why? so they can promote the hell out of everything else they do sell.

wrong? not at all. just transparent (at least i hope you see the point now).

08 Sep 2004 | Ryan Mahoney said...

Evil: get over it. If people think this is valuable (I do) and link to it, then it's their own choice.

You're in a space right now created by a business which serves many purposes, promotion being one of them.

It's a wonderful thing. Don't hate - watch and learn ;)

-r

08 Sep 2004 | beto said...

The Costco I go shopping food to already has this whole Christmas paraphernalia hanging high, loud and proud in stores. I can't watch it without throwing out a mental "what the (expletive)?" to it. What happened to the times when Christmas season started shortly after Thanksgiving, give or take a few days?

Other than that, this new site could not be more timely and convenient given many online store's commercial needs for the season, as crass as it all seems to me sometimes. But business is business anyway... more power to you.

08 Sep 2004 | evil said...

i already know the course, ryan. just consider me a friendly guide.