The Top 100 Online Retailers

5/11/2009
Results called the "Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index," finds that customer satisfaction with many of the largest online retailers is taking a dive. The decline threatens to smother an online retail recovery just as the rest of the economy shows signs of recovery.

The research, which employs the methodology of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), is based on surveys of more than 22,000 visitors to the top 100 e-retail Web sites by sales volume, as reported in the 2009 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide. The report shows individual scores for retailers on the study's 100-point scale, but here are a few of the major highlights:

The largest improvements go to Kohls.com (+6 percent year-over-year), Costco (+3 percent since last year, and +6% since 2005). Only 16 of the top 100 e-retailers improved, while over half declined. Even Apple.com got knocked from its throne, sliding nearly 6 percent. More report highlights include:

   > Satisfaction with e-retail is down almost 3 percent from last year, to 73 on the ACSI's 100-point scale. 

   > Online retail stalwarts Netflix and Amazon lead all e-retailers for a fifth year in a row, showing that it is possible to succeed despite tough times.

   > Apple.com slips behind HP.com and Dell.com for the first time by falling five points.

   > Nordstrom leads high-end retailers, followed by Saks and Neiman Marcus. 

   > CVS.com is down nearly 8 percent and now significantly trails Drugstore.com and Walgreens. 

   > For value retailers, comeback companies include Kohls.com (up almost 6 percent year-over-year) and Costco.com (up 3 percent since last year and 6 percent since it was first measured in 2005).

The Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index report, including a score chart for the top 100 Web sites, is available for free at www.foreseeresults.com/Research_Commentary.html.
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