SmartBargains.com clocks buyers at 7 minutes

SmartBargains.com customers will buy two to three items and spend $120 to $150 this holiday season, all in about seven minutes.

The online bargain retailer that caters to the most basic shopping urge - nailing down a great deal - already is seeing customers finding and buying quicker than last year, says Mark McWeeny, vice president of marketing and corporate development.

“Black Friday was our biggest day of the year before ‘Cyber Monday,’” McWeeny says. “Our Cyber Monday sales are up approximately 30% compared to Black Friday.”

SmartBargains.com is No. 85 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites.

SmartBargains customers’ expedited checkouts are assisted by two factors, McWeeny says. In many cases, customers already know what they want from shopping for specific items in bricks-and-mortar stores. New customers also are swayed by very competitive price points, he says.

The online retailer’s concentration on brand name products in home, women’s apparel, jewelry and footwear helps to narrow the shopper’s focus, McWeeny says. A garment-sizing tool implemented in September is also helping female shoppers find correct sizes.

SmartBargains expects a double-digit revenue increase for 2006, McWeeny says