After a quiet launch, ShoppersChoice.com is building momentum

Since early May when The Grill Store & More launched ShoppersChoice.com, a new mass merchandise site, business has been steadily building and today the web store carries more than 1.2 million SKUs and averages about 5,200 daily unique visitors.

“We’re off to a good start and building from there,” says The Grill Store and More CEO Michael Hackley.

In February, The Grill Store and More, which operates BBQGuys.com, announced plans to launch ShoppersChoice.com, a mass merchandise site that plans to carry more than 9 million SKUs in major categories such as apparel and accessories, automotive, baby, consumer electronics, entertainment, home, gifts, flowers, health and beauty, home improvement, pets and toys.

Since the launch, overall sales conversion rates have been averaging between 1.5% and 2% with an average order of about $246, Hackley says. “We’ve been doing particularly well with our consumer electronics and flower categories,” he says.

Despite competition from Overstock.com and other established mass merchandise sites, Hackley says ShoppersChoice will be able to differentiate from other web retailers by carrying more SKUs in categories such as automotive.

The Grill Store & More will continue to operate BBQGuys.com, which is ranked #371 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide. But Hackley also expects ShoppersChoice.com to generate first year web sales of $15 million to $18 million.

To hit that goal, ShoppersChoice will continue to expand site features such as its bridal registry and live chat program. “There is opportunity in the mass merchandise space if we can offer more SKUs and categories in ways the other sites aren’t,” Hackley says.