Overstock.com’s O-Mail
I have been buying from Overstock.com now for probably over three years. In fact, most of my personal holiday budget this past year went to Overstock after some extensive comparison shopping and searching (lowest price, fast shipping and reputable merchant).
Not a week goes by without an email from Overstock with new product specials or promotions. Yet I remain subscribed for two reasons: (a) I like their products and prices and (b) overall their emails are clean and relevant (okay, so a third reason may be to simply monitor what this leading online channel is up to).
In fact, I would go so far to call Overstock.com’s emails among the best-in-class. Good layout, call to action, the images are nicely formatted with many of them on a white background, the font is pleasing on the eyes and easy to read, and the discounted price is called out in red (but it doesn’t beat you over the head).

Last week’s email is a great example of leveraging a popular event such as the Super Bowl to highlight a relevant subset of products to customers. Who would not enjoy a big LCD TV to watch the Colts beat the Bears?

We recently informed you that subscription plans 5-10 will expire on December 31, 2006. However, further analysis has convinced us that the problems arising from O-Subscriptions (specifically, high starting prices, and thus, low sell-through rates) are endemic to all subscription plans, and are therefore detrimental both to your business and ours. As a result, we are ending our O-Subscriptions and have removed the sign-up page. Sellers currently subscribing to a plan will be allowed to utilize it through midnight, January 11. Any unused portions of your plan (including all January subscription fees) will be credited back to you.



