Top 5 Black Friday Websites

We wish there was more of a RACE for the top spot, but Amazon understands the web so much better than any competitor. Amazon's $68.7B in online sales dwarfs all other competitors. Add up #2 (Apple) #3 (Staples) and #4 (Walmart) and you get a little more than half Amazon's sales. Amazon's innovative combination of Free Shipping + Loyalty in their Prime Program is head and shoulders above other loyalty programs. Amazon took Free Shipping from cost of doing business in online retailer to a way to build community with Prime. Now they merchandise to prime with free downloads that help sell other streaming media, a category that must be the most profitable on earth. I don't know how I "own" the movies Amazon stores for me, but bet there is little more than a server call on my profile. CHEAP and brilliant and proof Amazon thinks five moves ahead of every other online retailer...still.

This year's holiday online retailing analysis stands in stark contrast to last year. Last year niche merchants such as Williams Sonoma put the big sites to shame. Not so much this year. Sears.com looks downright cool. We gave Sears a pass on no free returns because the site's merchandising is so strong. Sears and other retailers are going to find Free Shipping OUT and BACK are cost of online retail poker next year.

Dell is late to the holiday marketing game. Last year it was hard to know it was Christmas. This year they are catching up fast thanks to one of the most clearly stated FREE Shipping and returns policy we've seen.

With their Pre-Black Friday feature Walmart clearly got the "jump Black Friday" early memo that 14 of the top 21 online retailers we studied read. Walmart.com was a slow start, but with Free Shipping triggered at $50 and an innovative loyalty program this $10B online retailer is catching up fast.

Nordstom's free shipping & free returns is clear, unambiguous and easy to find. We liked their Olivia Kim content and pre-Black Friday look and feel.