ForeSee Results Releases Its Annual Assessment of the Top 100 Online Retailers

Online Satisfaction Drives Purchase Intent. (PRNewsFoto/ForeSee Results)

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — ForeSee Results today released its annual assessment of the top 100 online retailers, showing that customer satisfaction with e-retail remains at an all-time high score of 78 on the study’s 100-point scale. In addition to providing satisfaction scores, the study quantifies purchase intent, or a consumer’s likelihood to purchase from a retailer through any channel, online or offline. Satisfaction predicts purchase intent when it is measured using ForeSee’s methodology.

Nearly one-third of the rated e-retailers score 80 or higher (which is the threshold to be considered a top performer in the Index) up significantly from 2007 when only four websites were considered top performers. Moreover, not a single e-retailer scores below 70. Just two years ago, 15 percent of the top 100 retailers scored 69 or lower.

“Over the last seven years, we’ve really seen an industry mature from a huge range of satisfaction scores to a relatively narrow range,” said Larry Freed, President and CEO of ForeSee Results. “However, it’s important to remember that these scores are for only the Top 100 e-retailers, and a lot of smaller retailers still struggle with prioritizing the online customer experience. Understanding the relationship between customer satisfaction and purchase behavior should be a powerful motivator to measure and improve online customer satisfaction.”

The report, which can be downloaded at www.foreseeresults.com, includes individual satisfaction scores with the 100 top e-retailers for the past seven years, allowing for comparisons over time and between companies. After six years of leading the Index, Netflix drops two points to 85 and Amazon narrowly takes the lead, remaining unchanged at 86. The biggest gainers between 2010 and 2011 are Newegg, Shutterfly, Staples, Peapod, Lowes, Macys.com, and Hayneedle, up three points each.

The report quantifies the cause-and-effect relationship between customer satisfaction and the future success of a retailer. When compared to dissatisfied visitors, highly-satisfied visitors to retail websites say they are 68% more likely to purchase online, 46% more likely to purchase offline, and 61% more likely to purchase from that retailer next time they’re in the market for a similar product (based on likelihood scores). Highly satisfied customers are also more likely to recommend the retailer.

“Time and again our research shows that customer satisfaction drives loyalty, positive word of mouth, and future purchase intent,” added Freed. “Even as this economy slowly recovers, competition for the consumer dollar has never been tighter, so companies cannot afford to be complacent with their single most important consumer interface: the website.”

The measured retail industries include:

• Apparel/Accessories
• Books/Music/Video
• Computers/Electronics
• Food/Drug
• Mass Merchant
• Specialty/Non-Apparel
• Automotive Parts/Accessories
• Flowers/Gifts
• Hardware/Home Improvement
• Health & Beauty
• Housewares/Home Furnishings
• Jewelry
• Office Supplies
• Sporting Goods
• Toys/Hobbies

The annual Top 100 E-Retail Satisfaction Index from ForeSee Results uses the patented methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which was developed at the University of Michigan and is a proven predictor of consumer spending. Today’s report is based on surveys of more than 22,000 visitors to the top 100 e-retail websites (by sales volume, as reported in the 2011 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide).

A table of this year’s satisfaction and purchase intent scores is below, and a full set of historical scores over time is available in the full report, which can be downloaded for free at www.ForeSeeResults.com.

2011 Rank  (according to  sales volume)	Website	Satisfaction	Purchase Intent  (any channel)
1	Amazon.com	86	93
13	Netflix.com	85	85
31	Avon.com	84	88
12	QVC.com	84	89
11	Newegg.com	83	86
83	BassPro.com	82	86
27	HSN.com	82	85
63	Shutterfly.com	82	85
54	Scholastic.com	81	88
88	Vitacost.com	81	88
94	SwissColony.com	81	84
26	LLBean.com	81	86
22	TigerDirect.com	81	85
36	Vistaprint.com	81	84
97	Keurig.com	81	85
77	WeightWatchers.com	81	75
42	MusiciansFriend.com	81	83
39	Cabelas.com	81	85
24	Williams-Sonoma.com	80	83
61	OrientalTrading.com	80	84
2	Staples.com	80	87
40	BN.com	80	87
17	JCP.com	80	89
32	Kohls.com	80	90
3	Store.Apple.com	80	85
15	Costco.com	80	90
9	BestBuy.com	80	85
81	ColdwaterCreek.com	80	84
6	Walmart.com	79	89
67	Walgreens.com	79	87
46	drugstore.com	79	83
20	VictoriasSecret.com	79	84
69	DisneyStore.com	79	85
4	Dell.com	79	82
82	NorthernTool.com	79	83
68	REI.com	79	83
19	HPShopping.com	79	80
98	1800Contacts.com	79	81
65	RalphLauren.com	79	82
47	Peapod.com	79	81
34	SportsmansGuide.com	79	82
55	crateandbarrel.com	78	81
29	AmwayGlobal.com	78	81
86	SierraTradingPost.com	78	83
64	Diapers.com	78	79
16	Macys.com	78	86
100	HarryandDavid.com	78	80
51	AE.com	78	83
21	Target.com	78	88
25	Overstock.com	78	80
90	Lowes.com	78	87
8	OfficeMax.com	78	84
80	CVS.com	78	85
41	Blockbuster.com	78	78
91	EddieBauer.com	77	84
93	AAFES.com	77	86
28	Nordstrom.com	77	83
18	Grainger.com	77	81
5	OfficeDepot.com	77	82
74	Blair.com	77	82
44	PCConnection.com	77	81
73	Nike.com	77	83
85	ShoeBuy.com	77	77
37	ToysRUs.com	77	83
10	CDW.com	77	80
45	1800Flowers.com	77	76
95	FootballFanatics.com	77	80
33	Buy.com	77	79
52	CSNStores.com	77	78
23	Gap.com	76	81
30	HomeDepot.com	76	85
72	Hayneedle.com	76	78
43	SaksFifthAvenue.com	76	74
79	Ancestry.com	76	77
38	NeimanMarcus.com	75	77
14	SonyStyle.com	75	78
59	BlueNile.com	75	72
57	Abercrombie.com	75	81
66	FTD.com	75	74
35	Shop.SymantecStore.com	75	81
56	FootLocker.com	75	78
53	PCMall.com	75	76
70	FreshDirect.com	75	80
75	USAutoParts.net	74	77
50	JCrew.com	74	81
92	Fingerhut.com	74	75
89	ShopNBC.com	74	75
7	Sears.com	74	84
60	Nutrisystem.com	74	70
99	Safeway.com	73	79
48	UrbanOutfitters.com	72	77
71	Spiegel.com	71	72
58	efollett.com	70	77
78	RueLaLa.com	70	71

Score differences of approximately +/- 3 points are statistically significant at the 90% level of confidence.

SOURCE ForeSee Results

RELATED LINKS
http://www.ForeSeeResults.com