“Free shipping!” These two words sound sweeter than a Beethoven melody.
Nearly all online shoppers pay attention when a brand offers free shipping. It is because no one wants to shell out any extra money. It frequently happens that after adding an item to the shopping cart, when shoppers are about to checkout, they realize the order has a sizeable shipping fee. The customers will lose interest, feeling it’s not a good deal anymore, and abandon the cart.
A recent study revealed that 48 percent of the 4384 participants said they abandoned their cart at checkout after finding and extra charges were high.
Often shipping fees are quite steep for small orders, and it doesn’t make sense to buy those products. Fortunately, several top retail brands offer free shipping with reasonable conditions. We have listed five of them.
But if you want to dig deeper on who pays for free shipping? Read this.
Let’s discover the top 5 brands offering free shipping with minimal spend, including Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Nordstrom. Free shipping boosts cart completion, loyalty, and repeat purchases, while many brands also provide free returns. Learn how to maximize savings, meet minimum spend thresholds, and take advantage of exclusive membership perks to shop smarter online.
These Free Shipping Strategies Can Boost a Retail Brand’s Sales
Before talking about free shipping strategies, here are some more statistics to remember:
- 9 out of 10 online visitors will shop online if brands offer free shipping.
- 50 percent of customers choose the standard or slow shipping option because it would be free.
- 47 percent of shoppers search for promotional codes that help them get free shipping.
Fast and reliable deliveries are a key factor in why customers prefer brands with free shipping.
Offering Free Shipping to Higher Value Orders
A study carried out by Usability Sciences shows out of 56 percent of online visitors who browsed to check products, only 19 percent added items to the cart. From this 19 percent, merely 7 percent completed their purchase.
Not getting free shipping offers is one of the main reasons for abandoning carts by shoppers.
Conversely, when a retailer offers a free shipping threshold like, “Free shipping on purchase over $65,” orders increase to more than 90 percent.
Offering Free Shipping as Part of Rewards
These days, customers have plenty of options. So, brands can’t afford to slip off and lose customers. Applying the right strategy can help those customers stick around.
To make things even better, offering free shipping boosts the chances of a satisfying and seamless customer experience. It also encourages more customers to stay with a brand and keep purchasing from its store.
Offering Free Shipping on Limited Items
Offering free shipping has become common among major retailers like Amazon. However, it could be somewhat difficult for some small to mid-sized retail brands. Smaller size brands can integrate their free shipping strategy cleverly to boost their sales.
They can offer free shipping for high-margin products or for a limited period that may trigger FOMO or fear of missing out among customers and increase their conversions.
Understanding Minimum Spend Requirements
When it comes to online shopping, understanding minimum spend requirements can make a big difference in how much you pay for shipping—or if you pay at all. Many top retailers offer free shipping, but often there’s a catch: you need to meet a minimum purchase amount to qualify for the free shipping offer.
Retailers like Walmart offer free standard shipping on most items when your order reaches a $35 minimum spend, making it easy for shoppers to save money on shipping costs. Meanwhile, Target’s RedCard holders enjoy free shipping with no minimum purchase required, which is a huge perk for frequent shoppers. Canadian stores are also getting in on the action, with many Canadian retailers now offering free shipping with no minimum spend, especially during special promotions or the holiday season.
If you’re shopping for electronics, Best Buy often ships free on orders over $35, and Nordstrom stands out by offering free standard shipping on all orders, no minimum required.
Don’t forget that some stores with free shipping also provide free expedited shipping if you hit a higher minimum purchase threshold.
Another bonus to look out for is free returns. Many retailers that offer free shipping also make returns hassle-free, so you can shop for clothing, electronics, or other accessories with confidence, knowing you won’t have to pay extra if something doesn’t work out.
In short, understanding the minimum spend requirements for free shipping is key to getting the best deals online.
Top 5 Brands with Best Free Shipping Offers
1. Barnes & Noble
BarnesAndNoble.com is a major brand in online bookselling and a competitor of Amazon in this niche. The company stocks more than 1 million book titles, ready for immediate delivery.
Here are a few more details about the company:
- Other than traditional books and eBooks, Barnes & Noble also sells toys & games, Music & Movies, and Stationery & Gifts.
- B&N offers membership, coupons & deals, gift cards, and exclusive online discounts.
- The site often features links to special gift ideas, and members get exclusive access to early sales.
Similar to Amazon, Barnes & Noble started mainly as a bookseller and later introduced other items. The shipping policy of the company is below:
- When customers place orders over $35, they will get free shipping.
- If customers buy Barnes & Noble membership, they will enjoy free shipping (3-5 business days) without any minimum purchase limit.
- Return Policy: Free within 21 days.
Diversifying its business and offering free shipping and other deals help Barnes & Noble stay in the competitive retail market by increasing its revenue streams and lowering overhead costs.
The takeaway for your eCommerce store –
Free Shipping is never free. But then again, there are ways to make the most of it. Using Free Shipping for encouraging memberships and upselling is a good idea. One other takeaway from Barnes and Noble would be setting a limited time for free returns. This creates trust and gives shoppers time to decide and act. Make sure your site provides clear links to shipping policies and encourage customers to join loyalty programs for access to perks.
2. Walmart
Walmart.com began its journey in the retail industry as a small discount retailer and has become one of the largest retail brands in the world.
Walmart currently runs nearly 10,500 stores and clubs in 24 countries and eCommerce websites.
A few more facts about Walmart:
- The company offers bargains and discounts on all types of items every day.
- Walmart has massive stocks of a wide range of items, such as grocery, tech, fashion, home, and baby products.
- You can even find sold-out items on Walmart and get them shipped to your local store.
The free shipping offers by Walmart are impressive:
- Offers next-day and two-day shipping on orders over $35.
- Offers free standard shipping (3-5 days) for orders of $35 and more.
- Free shipping for grab & go locations.
- Other options: a $7.95 plus fee per order.
- Return Policy: Refund or exchange within 90 days
Walmart’s free shipping applies to most orders within the continental U.S. and Canada, with some restrictions for sale items.
Customers will get the free shipping offer on “eligible” items marked by Walmart. Gift cards are not eligible for next-day shipping.
The takeaway for your eCommerce store –
Like Walmart, you can offer Free Shipping on eligible items. Gift cards from stores which has plenty of offers get a lot of traffic too. But making it not eligible for Free Shipping is a smart move that small businesses can readily apply. Make sure to clarify which regions, such as continental U.S. or Canada, are included in your shipping policies.
3. BestBuy.com
BestBuy.com is an online marketplace that offers attractive deals on electronics, including laptops, desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, televisions, appliances, video games, and more.
From time to time Best Buy offers small-window sales like 3-day sales to encourage shoppers.
The company offers free shipping on the following occasions:
- Free next-day shipping on qualifying items and orders over $35.
- Free standard shipping on qualifying items and orders over $35.
- For expedited shipping, customers need to pay a fee.
- The return policy depends on the items. In most cases, customers can return within 30 days.
Best Buy offers free ground shipping on many electronics and mobile devices, and overnight shipping is available for an extra fee.
BestBuy also makes it easier for customers to return items compared to most retail sites. Customers only need to fill out an online form and never have to worry about paying re-stocking fees!
The takeaway for your eCommerce store –
Creating urgencies like a 3-day or 4-day sale is something every eCommerce brand owner should try. You get to clear up your end-of-season stock while taking a note of what items sell most in a sale. The main catch however is BestBuy’s return policy. To simplify things, you too can have a simple Typeform and the process returns faster without charging restocking fees. Also, consider offering ground shipping and expedited options for mobile devices and electronics to match customer expectations.
4. Target
Target.com is another retail giant with supermarket chains in the United States, and shoppers can order items from its website.
The company has its merchandise stores in all 50 states in the US. Around 75 percent of the US population lives within a radius of 10 miles of a Target store.
Target provides options to customers such as home delivery, or picking the order from a brick-and-mortar Target store close to their location.
The free shipping policy of Target is below:
- Free same-day shipping if customers have a Shipt membership. Or else they need to pay $9.99 per delivery.
- Free 2-day shipping for orders on or over $35.
- REDcard holders will get free shipping in all 50 US states and without the minimum order threshold.
- Extra charge for expedited shipping.
- Customers can request for refund or exchange within 90 days.
Customers can join or sign up for Target Circle to get early access to deals and special offers on the site.
Target has a separate “Deal” section on its website, which includes “Top Deals,” “Target Circle Offers,” and “Clearance,” which make shopping more affordable for customers.
The takeaway for your eCommerce store –
Communicating better with customers through a website is difficult but not impossible. Having a dedicated section with clear categories like ‘Top Deals’ and ‘Offers’ give your customer an exact idea of what to expect. Encourage customers to join or sign up for loyalty programs to access early deals and exclusive offers.
5. Nordstrom
Nordstrom.com is a chain of luxury department stores based in the US that began its operations in 1901. During the initial years, the original Wallin & Nordstrom stores exclusively offered luxury shoes.
Over the years, the company added more retail categories, such as clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, handbags, accessories, grooming products, and more. Nordstrom also sells clothing, makeup, and body products, and most orders are delivered with free standard shipping.
Nordstrom’s motto is “Free shipping, free returns.” The shipping policy of the company is below:
- Free standard shipping, all the time to any part of the US except Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
- Free ship to store option. Customers can pick up their orders from any Nordstrom store.
- Two business days shipping with an extra fee of $12.
- Next business day shipping with an extra fee of $20.
- Nordstrom customers with The Nordy Club membership, get free 2-day shipping and early access to select sales and offers.
- Free return policy.
Other popular accessories brands with free shipping include Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Lilly Pulitzer, and Ray Ban. These accessories brands are known for their generous shipping policies and often provide perks like free shipping, early access to sales, and special offers.
The takeaway for your eCommerce store –
Much like The Nordy Club Membership, you too can set up a membership system that helps you create better relations with your customers and the customers get exclusive deals in return. Make sure to provide clear links to your shipping policies.
Closing Words
Offering free shipping on special gift items or during holiday sales can help attract new customers and boost your eCommerce growth.
FAQ: Top Brands with Free Shipping
1. Why is free shipping important for online shoppers?
Free shipping reduces cart abandonment and increases purchases. Studies show nearly 50% of shoppers abandon carts due to high shipping fees.
2. How do brands use free shipping to boost sales?
Brands use free shipping to encourage higher-value orders, loyalty memberships, and limited-time promotions, creating urgency and repeat purchases.
3. What are common minimum spend requirements for free shipping?
Many retailers require a minimum order to qualify:
- Walmart: $35+
- Best Buy: $35+
- Target: $35+, or no minimum for RedCard holders
- Nordstrom: no minimum required
4. Which top brands offer the best free shipping deals?
- Barnes & Noble: Free shipping $35+, membership gives free shipping anytime
- Walmart: Free standard shipping $35+, next-day and 2-day options
- Best Buy: Free shipping on qualifying orders $35+
- Target: Free 2-day shipping $35+, RedCard holders get no-minimum shipping
- Nordstrom: Free shipping always, plus free returns
5. Are free shipping and free returns related?
Yes. Many retailers combine free shipping with hassle-free returns, encouraging shoppers to buy confidently without worrying about extra costs.
6. Can small brands offer free shipping effectively?
Yes. Small brands can offer free shipping on high-margin items, limited-time deals, or as part of loyalty programs .
7. Does free shipping really increase conversions?
Absolutely. Free shipping boosts order completion rates, encourages slower shipping choices, and attracts new customers, especially during promotions or holidays.
