Today I wanted to share an online shopping tip that can really save you money and time. Did you know that many big online stores are now offering a FREE ship-to-store feature which allows you to shop online then pick up your purchase at your local store for free?

From talking to fellow online shoppers and Rather-Be-Shopping users, free ship-to-store is one of the top online shopping trends.

Now you might be asking yourself, so what, why is that so great, I still have to go get it? But it has the potential to save you a bunch of money. Here are 3 ways ship-to-store can help you save:

1. Online Coupons

The biggest reason ship-to-store is a good idea is online coupons. For instance almost all of the coupons on Rather-Be-Shopping are for online use only. Unfortunately, you can’t print them off and go shopping at your local Home Depot.

So by using ship-to-store, you can still take advantage of the online coupon code and then just pick it up at your local brick & mortar location. Easy money!

2. No Shipping Costs

With the price of gas hovering around $4 a gallon don’t expect shipping costs to do anything but go up. Ship-to-store totally eliminates shipping costs. Now yes, you still have to drive to the store to pick up your order (which obviously uses gas), so I would suggest picking up your order when you are running errands and going to be in that area of town anyways.

In other words, don’t make a special trip to pick-up your item if you can avoid it.

3. Easily Price Compare

The Internet is an incredible shopping tool. The price comparison websites and review websites really help you make informed buying decisions. These tools are not easily accessible when you are at your local mall. So by staying home and using the ship-to-store option you can really shop smart and save.

Here are 9 popular online stores that offer Free Ship-to-Store:

1 – Sears.com

Sears not only offers free ship-to-store, but they will actually pay you $5 if you have to wait more than 5 minutes for them to grab your order. Great customer service from Sears. Just bring in your email confirmation, and receive your purchase in five minutes. Very cool!

Also, be sure to download the Sears app and take advantage of their In-Vehicle Pickup option. You don’t even have to get out of your car, how cool is that.

2 – Best Buy.com

I personally use Best Buy’s store pick-up all the time and love it. When I get to the store I am literally back in my car within 2 minutes. My order has always been sitting there waiting for me and it couldn’t be easier. Usually my order is ready for pick-up within a couple hours.

Also, it is worth noting that many Best Buy locations have Curbside Service “where a sales associate will bring your order out to you. If your selected store has this service, a message will appear in your cart.”

As is the case with all ship-to-store options, make sure to bring in your email confirmation, ID, and the credit card you used to make your purchase.

3 – Walmart.com

Walmart started their site-to-store feature a few months ago and it has been well received. From their website, “Walmart offers tens of thousands of products online that are eligible for Site to Store – including furniture, electronics, tires, baby gear and exercise equipment – many of which are not regularly available in our stores.”

Speaking of buying furniture and exercise equipment, always check if the retailer offers free ship-to-store because the shipping costs on large items often makes it cost prohibited to order online.

4 – Home Depot.com

The Home Depot’s ‘Pick Up In Store’ feature not only saves you shipping charges but also helps you speed up any time-sensitive projects. In other words, if you are installing a new sink and you see the one you want online, pick this option and you will be washing your hands in it tonight.

When you arrive at your local Home Depot, go directly to the Special Service desk (or Pro desk if you’re a contractor) and they will help you with your order and get you back to work quickly.

5 – Lowe’s.com

When checking out from the Lowe’s website, look for the “Pick Up In Store — Free” option and select it. Your order will then be ready for you to pick up, almost instantly. Just bring in your email receipt and they will get you in and out quickly.

Again, this option is great for large items that would cost you an arm & leg to ship. Also, make sure to take advantage of Lowe’s online only sales and then select the Pick Up In Store option.

This way you will actually get a better price then if you went in and shopped at your local Lowe’s.

6 – Lands’ End.com

This one is a little different than the other 5 listed above. It has to do with returns. Did you know that you can return your online Lands’ End order to your local Sears store for free? Why you ask? Well, back in 2002, Sears actually bought Lands’ End for 2 billion dollars.

Lands’ End charges a flat $6.50 return fee, so by returning to your local Sears store you completely wipe out that fee. Thanks to Brenda for telling me about this one. Pretty cool.

7 – JCPenney.com

The folks at JCPenney offer an option they call Same Day In-Store Pickup. From their site, “If you choose same day pickup during checkout, ordered items are typically ready within 4 hours.

For same day pickup, your order must be submitted by 3pm local time (1pm local time Sunday).”

Be sure to bring your order number, credit card used, and a valid driver’s license.

8 – Office Depot/Max.com

Office Depot and Office Max actually offer free in-store pickup with a 1-hour window. Simply select the In-Store pickup option when checking out, select the closest location, and complete your online purchase.

This is when the magic happens. “Approximately 1 hour after your order is placed, you’ll receive an email letting you know that your order is ready for pick up.”

Note: Orders must be placed within 2 hours of your local store’s closing time otherwise you’ll have to pick the item up the following day.

9 – Nordstrom.com

Do you want to shop the Nordstrom website, then pick the items up in-store? Just take advantage of their “Buy Online, Pick Up in Store” program.

Once you complete your purchase you’ll typically get an email within an hour saying your order is ready to be picked up.  Just bring in your order confirmation, credit card used, and head straight for the “Service Bar” to pick up your purchase.

Ask the Reader: Do you know any other stores that offer free ship-to-store? Please tell us by commenting below.