CHICAGO — Wards began selling majaps online earlier this month.
The assortment, which is limited to washers, ranges, refrigerators, dishwashers and small appliances by GE, Maytag and Whirlpool, represents the merchant’s first foray into e-commerce. The cyber store is linked to Wards’ informational site, located at www.wards.com.
Fulfillment is handled through the company’s 250 brick & mortar stores, which are accessible by 37 percent of all U.S. households, Wards said.
Online and in-store pricing is comparable, said Bob Baird, senior VP/electronics, appliances, automotive, fine jewelry and Internet, who was taken aback by the site’s initial business. “It was surprising to me how much we sold in the first week,” he said.
To help generate traffic, Wards is offering free, unlimited Internet service through its corporate cousin NBCi. Both are owned by General Electric.
Wards is the nation’s fifth largest majap merchant, having sold $552 million worth of white goods last year according to the TWICE Majap Retail Registry.
