More Savannah-grown businesses are beefing up their e-commerce divisions to appeal to a wider audience this holiday season, and some are seeing big gains in web traffic.
Local businesses with a strong online presence, including retailers Byrd Cookie Co., Savannah Bee Co., River Street Sweets and Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, advertised an array of special offers on their websites Monday geared toward online gift hunters.
According to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation, about 52 percent of Americans, or 126.9 million people, were expected to shop on Cyber Monday, enticed by offers of free shipping, discounts and in-store pickup programs.
The Salt Table, located on Barnard Street and in Pooler, has been operating for three years and has also seen big gains in its online sales, according to co-owners Carol and David Legasse.
“This is our third year on the net — we started early on — and each year it’s grown substantially,” said David Legasse. “We’re up probably 30 to 40 percent.”
Through today, the Salt Table is offering up to 20 percent off and free three-day shipping in the U.S. for purchases over $59. He said gift baskets and their original “All ’Round Good Grinder” blend tend to be the strongest sellers.
“We really count on a strong Internet response to our products,” he said. “We ship literally throughout the U.S., and we do a lot of it.”
Savannah Bee Co., with locations on Broughton and River streets and Wilmington Island, also has a booming online business and expects to fulfill close to 60,000 orders this year.
Brantley Crowder, director of e-commerce at the company, said this is their busiest time.
“Cyber Monday has typically been our strongest sales day of the year,” said Crowder.
So far, he said, their Winter White honey has been the best seller this quarter, though their beauty care lines are also robust.
“The trickiest part of having a huge day like Cyber Monday is at the fulfillment end and having the right people in place,” he said. “We triple our fulfillment staff from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.”
On its site, Savannah Bee is offering a complimentary 8-ounce Tupelo Honey Lotion with any purchase as well as a host of gift sets.
“This past Friday was the biggest day savannahbee.com has ever seen, so we’re expecting Cyber Monday to be just as big,” he said.