E-mail, e-mail on the wall, who's the smartest one of all?

Like yours, probably, my inbox has been swamped by retail holiday e-mails the past few weeks. Most are from my favorite retailers for personal consumption, while others are from companies I like to watch professionally for trending.

Free shipping, the leg up for savvy marketers over the past few holiday seasons, isn't cutting it this year. Consumers are like water flowing downhill. They'll naturally find the quickest route of least resistance. Many, if not most, I assume, have established favorite retailers based on the locus of price and selection, with secondary aspects like shipping having become expected service requirements.
My list of online stores is international. And in one case, I receive free shipping year-round from England for product at much cheaper prices than I can find here at home. Guess where I'm shopping?
So the marketers have been battling on a new field this year, where they need to establish themselves on the higher ground, especially given the economic circumstances. And now, with a week and a half until Christmas, we've entered the critical phase. For many, the retailing season will be won or lost over the next nine days.
Bam. Walmart hit my inbox this morning with a compelling list of "unbelievable online specials." And I have to say, while I've become somewhat jaded by claims, this one roped me in. The claim was just too powerful in combination with the timing--true even though I've finished all my holiday shopping (theoretically).
Increasingly, online retailing is maturing to place the field of competition squarely where it's been for traditional retailing for years--a question of who can offer the best product at the best prices and marketed the best.
The other thing that hit me was that Walmart prioritized three categories that, I assume, it believes would have maximum above-the-fold impact on potential shoppers. These were electronics, toys and "great gifts," which was illustrated graphically by a "wine lover's bundle."
Clicking through on that final catch-all category, I found an 0.45-carat total weight pair of diamond stud earrings buried toward the end--an ignominious showing for jewelry, and this from the largest seller of fine jewelry on the planet. Not very encouraging as a cultural statement about the allure of our product.