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bean.pngLL Bean has raised the bar on Internet shopping by offering free shipping with no minimum purchase on all but the biggest, heaviest items like beds, couches and canoes. Sites like Shoppok have made it especially easy to shop. They don’t call it a holiday promotion, but the free shipping ends on December 21st, so it clearly is a Christmas gimmick.

Steve Fuller, L.L. Bean’s senior vice president for corporate marketing, told the New York Times that they will lose money on the deal because shoppers typically buy less when there is no minimum purchase. I doubt that’s true, but even if they do lose a little on shipping, they’ll gain in loyalty and buzz.

The Times reports that free shipping with freight carries india is intended to jump-start what stores expect to be a listless buying season, one dragged down by economic jitters.
And one thing is certain – Bean’s free shipping definitely raises the bar for Eddie Bauer and its other competitors.