Friday, May 24, 2013 Last update: 3:35 AM
Company Tech News as it Breaks
ForeSee Holiday Customer Satisfaction Study: Amazon Sets Standard; JCPenney, Apple, Dell Drop
Submitted by admin on 12/27/2012 @ 5:00 AM
Companies mentioned in this article:
ForeSee
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet-retail giant Amazon remains at the head of the class, according to the annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index released today by customer experience analytics firm ForeSee. The eighth annual report--based on more than 24,000 customer surveys collected during the prime holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas--expands from measuring satisfaction with 40 top retailers to 100 this year. Aggregate customer satisfaction stagnates, scoring 78 on a 100-point scale. Though satisfaction with top retailers remains the same, a few big-name retailers suffered declines. Apple's online retail store slides four percent to 80, slipping from a tie for second place and out of the top five entirely, registering its lowest score in four years. PC competitor Dell.com also falls four percent to 77 and below the Index average. But the biggest year-over-year decline goes to JCPenney.com, with a six percent decline to 78.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110819/DE54780LOGO )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121227/DE34553-INFO )
"This year, we're seeing that even some of the largest companies in the country are at risk if they lose sight of customer satisfaction," said Larry Freed, ForeSee president and CEO. "Satisfaction with the customer experience, when measured correctly, is the most important predictor of future success, and while Amazon clearly gets it, Apple stumbles from their usual focus on the customer experience. Dell, and JCPenney seem to be struggling to find their way, which could make them extremely vulnerable to competitors."
Meanwhile, Amazon.com continues to set the standard for customer satisfaction, matching the record high of 88 it set last year in the holiday edition of the Index. Amazon has had the highest scores in the Index for eight years in a row, consistently setting a pace that other retailers don't seem to be able to touch. Their high score is partially because of the appeal and variety of merchandise they offer, a priority area for some other retailers.
"At this point, Amazon has been dominant for so long and has such a history of focusing on the customer, its hard to imagine anyone else coming close," added Freed. "Companies should emulate Amazon's focus on the customer, which is clearly linked to superior revenues over the years."
The range of scores among the top 100 retailers spans from Amazon's high of 88 to a score of 72 shared by Gilt.com and Fingerhut.com.
The report includes individual satisfaction scores for 95 of the 100 top e-retailers (see chart below; sample sizes weren't large enough to report scores for a handful of retailers). In addition to the previous points about individual company performance, other key findings include:
-- Merchandise is a top priority for two-thirds of retailers: Customer
experience analytics can provide retailers with a clear direction on
prioritizing improvements that will have the greatest return on
investment. While many retailers are focused on price, only seven of the
top 100 companies registered price as a high priority for improvement.
However, 65 of the measured sites should improve merchandise (the
appeal, variety, and availability of products) in order to increase
overall satisfaction, and by extension, sales, loyalty and customer
recommendations.
-- Customer satisfaction matters: Compared to shoppers who report being
dissatisfied with a website, highly satisfied shoppers say they are 67%
more likely to consider the company the next time they purchase a
similar product. Satisfied shoppers also report being far more likely to
return to the site, recommend it and stay loyal to the brand.
Furthermore, analysis of top e-retailers in the United States has shown
that, on average, a one-point change in website satisfaction was found
to predict a 14% change in the log of revenues generated on the web.
The full table of scores is below. The full report can be downloaded for free at www.ForeSee.com.
Shopper Satisfaction with Top 100 Online Retailers in the U.S., Holiday 2012
Website Holiday Holiday Year-
2011 2012 Over-
Year
Point
Change
--- ------
Amazon.com 88 88 0
---------- --- --- ---
LLBean.com 81 85 4
---------- --- --- ---
QVC.com 83 84 1
------- --- --- ---
Vitacost.com NM 84 NA
------------ --- --- ---
Esteelauder.com NM 83 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
Vistaprint.com 83 83 0
-------------- --- --- ---
1800Contacts.com 83 82 -1
---------------- --- --- ---
Keurig.com NM 82 NA
---------- --- --- ---
Scholastic.com NM 82 NA
-------------- --- --- ---
Avon.com 83 81 -2
-------- --- --- ---
Cabelas.com 79 81 2
----------- --- --- ---
HSN.com 76 81 5
------- --- --- ---
Newegg.com 82 81 -1
---------- --- --- ---
1800Flowers.com NM 80 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
Blair.com NM 80 NA
--------- --- --- ---
Chicos.com NM 80 NA
---------- --- --- ---
Freshdirect.com NM 80 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
HPShopping.com 80 80 0
-------------- --- --- ---
Kohls.com 79 80 1
--------- --- --- ---
MusiciansFriend.com NM 80 NA
------------------- --- --- ---
Netflix.com 79 80 1
----------- --- --- ---
OrientalTrading.com NM 80 NA
------------------- --- --- ---
Shutterfly.com NM 80 NA
-------------- --- --- ---
Store.Apple.com 83 80 -3
--------------- --- --- ---
VictoriasSecret.com 81 80 -1
------------------- --- --- ---
Walgreens.com NM 80 NA
------------- --- --- ---
BN.com 81 79 -2
------ --- --- ---
EdibleArrangements.com NM 79 NA
---------------------- --- --- ---
Nordstrom.com 77 79 2
------------- --- --- ---
Saksfifthavenue.com NM 79 NA
------------------- --- --- ---
Sony Store, Online 74 79 5
------------------ --- --- ---
Target.com 76 79 3
---------- --- --- ---
WeightWatchers.com NM 79 NA
------------------ --- --- ---
Williams-Sonoma.com 80 79 -1
------------------- --- --- ---
Amway.com NM 78 NA
--------- --- --- ---
AnnTaylor.com NM 78 NA
------------- --- --- ---
Costco.com 79 78 -1
---------- --- --- ---
DisneyStore.com NM 78 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
FootballFanatics.com NM 78 NA
-------------------- --- --- ---
HomeDepot.com 78 78 0
------------- --- --- ---
JCPenney.com 83 78 -5
------------ --- --- ---
MicrosoftStore.com NM 78 NA
------------------ --- --- ---
OfficeDepot.com 75 78 3
--------------- --- --- ---
ShopNBC.com NM 78 NA
----------- --- --- ---
SierraTradingPost.com NM 78 NA
--------------------- --- --- ---
SportsmansGuide.com 80 78 -2
------------------- --- --- ---
Walmart.com 79 78 -1
----------- --- --- ---
BestBuy.com 78 77 -1
----------- --- --- ---
Cdw.com NM 77 NA
------- --- --- ---
Dell.com 80 77 -3
-------- --- --- ---
EddieBauer.com NM 77 NA
-------------- --- --- ---
Gamestop.com NM 77 NA
------------ --- --- ---
Gap.com 73 77 4
------- --- --- ---
Grainger.com NM 77 NA
------------ --- --- ---
JCrew.com NM 77 NA
--------- --- --- ---
Macys.com 78 77 -1
--------- --- --- ---
NeimanMarcus.com 78 77 -1
---------------- --- --- ---
Net-a-porter.com NM 77 NA
---------------- --- --- ---
OfficeMax.com 75 77 2
------------- --- --- ---
Peapod.com NM 77 NA
---------- --- --- ---
RalphLauren.com NM 77 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
Staples.com 78 77 -1
----------- --- --- ---
Symantec.com NM 77 NA
------------ --- --- ---
Thebay.com NM 77 NA
---------- --- --- ---
UrbanOutfitters.com NM 77 NA
------------------- --- --- ---
AE.com NM 76 NA
------ --- --- ---
BassPro.com NM 76 NA
----------- --- --- ---
BlueNile.com NM 76 NA
------------ --- --- ---
CVS.com NM 76 NA
------- --- --- ---
FootLocker.com NM 76 NA
-------------- --- --- ---
Hayneedle.com NM 76 NA
------------- --- --- ---
Nike.com NM 76 NA
-------- --- --- ---
NorthernTool.com NM 76 NA
---------------- --- --- ---
REI.com NM 76 NA
------- --- --- ---
TigerDirect.com 79 76 -3
--------------- --- --- ---
Toysrus.com 75 76 1
----------- --- --- ---
Abercrombie.com NM 75 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
AutoPartsWarehouse.com 78 75 -3
---------------------- --- --- ---
Buy.com 74 75 1
------- --- --- ---
Efollett.com NM 75 NA
------------ --- --- ---
Lowes.com NM 75 NA
--------- --- --- ---
Overstock.com 72 75 3
------------- --- --- ---
PCMall.com NM 75 NA
---------- --- --- ---
Sears.com 75 75 0
--------- --- --- ---
ShoeBuy.com NM 75 NA
----------- --- --- ---
Shopmyexchange.com NM 75 NA
------------------ --- --- ---
Wayfair.com NM 75 NA
----------- --- --- ---
FTD.com NM 74 NA
------- --- --- ---
PCConnection.com NM 74 NA
---------------- --- --- ---
Shop.com NM 74 NA
-------- --- --- ---
Crateandbarrel.com NM 73 NA
------------------ --- --- ---
Nutrisystem.com NM 73 NA
--------------- --- --- ---
RueLaLa.com NM 73 NA
----------- --- --- ---
Fingerhut.com NM 72 NA
------------- --- --- ---
Gilt.com NM 72 NA
-------- --- --- ---
About the ForeSee Results E-Retail Satisfaction Index (U.S. Holiday Edition)
The eighth annual holiday online satisfaction report is based on more than 24,000 responses from visitors to the top 100 e-retail websites according to sales revenue as reported by Internet Retailer's Top 500 Guide. Survey responses were collected via research panel. ForeSee Results uses technology based on a methodology that has been shown to have a direct link with stock prices and other measures of financial performance.
About ForeSee
As a pioneer in customer experience analytics, ForeSee continuously measures satisfaction across customer touch points and delivers critical insights on where to prioritize improvements for maximum impact. Because ForeSee's superior technology and proven methodology connect the customer experience to the bottom line, executives and managers are able to drive future success by confidently optimizing the efforts that will achieve business and brand objectives. The result is better business for companies and a better experience for consumers. Visit www.foresee.com for customer experience solutions and original research.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Chaat Butsunturn, cbutsunturn@kearnswest.com
415-391-7900 x1214
Or Amanda Piasecki, apiasecki@kearnswest.com
202-535-7800 x1114
SOURCE ForeSee