Half of Circuit City's customers who purchase from the retailer online choose the in-store pickup option, and now those orders are guaranteed to be ready at their store of choice within 24 minutes of order confirmation, reports DM News (via MediaBuyerPlanner). The guarantee covers purchases of $25 or more made through the website, catalog (which launched in July), or call centers.

Not covered is the amount of time a customer spends waiting in line in stores to pick up the purchase. Purchases made the day after Thanksgiving and the two days following Christmas are also exempt.

A study by the etailing group in September showed that online retailers were getting better at having products ready for customers who have chosen the in-store pickup option. Overall, merchandise was ready for the customer 87 percent of the time.