E-retailers use their web sites to encourage disaster relief contributions
A number of web-based retailers have enlisted their sites in the New York disaster relief efforts. Amazon.com and Target.com have filled their home pages with messages encouraging visitors to donate to Red Cross. Amazon’s site reports that Amazon customers have donated $2.7 million since Tuesday.
1800flowers.com displays a pop-up window encouraging donations to the Red Cross. Visitors who click on the donate button get a message of condolences from 1800flowers.com and a message that states: “We have offered use of our stores, call centers, delivery trucks and other facilities to the cities and to the airlines directly affected by recent events. We have also partnered with Long Island based retailers to provide the Red Cross in New York City with water, food and other supplies. Additionally, we are offering floral services to families in need.” It then offers another button that takes donors to the Red Cross home page.
Borders.com’s home page gave center placement to condolences for victims and families as well as thanks for inquiries about the safety of its World Trade Center and Pentagon-area stores. Employees in both locations are safe and accounted for, the Borders statement said. Borders.com also listed contact information for both blood and cash donations to the Red Cross, as well as cash donations to the Salvation Army.
Other sites with messages encouraging contributions include sears.com, eBags.com, walmart.com, landsend.com, CDNow.com and MuseumShop.com. EBay encourages donations to the Trade Center Relief Fund and the New York Community Trust Sept. 11 Fund, and provides mailing addresses. Alloy.com displays a peace sign and encourages visitors to talk to others via the Alloy web chat rooms.
Several sites note that the grounding of the nation’s air fleet has resulted in delivery delays, including Anthropologie.com, Ashford.com, LillianVernon.com, and Lands’ End.
Landsend.com featured a front-page message apologizing for potential shipping delays in light of the temporary suspension of air shipments. While 97% of Lands’ End packages are shipped via ground UPS and few travel by next-day air, the suspension of air shipments will put an added load on ground shipments as other businesses that normally depend in air shipments seek ground alternatives, said a Lands’ End spokeswoman. As result, while packages are leaving Lands` End on schedule, congestion at ground shippers may cause packages to arrive a day or so late, she said.
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