Trends in Online Shopping: 2008

We are preparing to do our annual Top 40 Online Retail Satisfaction Index. Here's the way it works in broad strokes: we use the methodology of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to assess browser satisfaction with the top 40 retail websites (as determined by Internet Retailer's annual Top 500 Guide) during the holiday shopping season. Each of the 40 retailers is given a score on the ACSI's 100-point scale so you can see which retailers are doing a better or worse job satisfying web browsers during the holiday shopping season. We also do a similar study in the UK with the top 30 UK e-retailers. Since customer satisfaction has a proven link to future financial performance, loyalty, and even stock prices, it turns up some interesting stuff.

But beyond just the horse race of who's doing well and who isn't, it's an opportunity to look at broader trends in holiday e-retailing. We've looked at the impact of free shipping offers on likelihood to purchase and the impact of customer reviews on loyalty. We've evaluated how gas prices are affecting people's likelihood to shop online vs. offline. It's almost 10,000 surveys that can give us insights into the mind of the online shopper.

We're finalizing the survey now and we'll definitely be adding questions about the impact of the economy, the election, and the financial crisis. We're also looking at asking about usage of mobile apps and the impact of social networks on shopping decisions. We've talked to a few journalists and opinion leaders about what they're interested in, but what's on YOUR mind as we approach the busiest time of the year for online retailing? What would you most like to know about online shopper behaviors and attitudes?

Comments

[Laurent Florès - crmmetrix]

Hi Larry - hope all is well, when will the info be available? Thanks,
be well
laurent

[Rose]

e-commerce is getting more and more popular. this creates the need of having good tools to help shoppers make right decisions while buying online. reizit.com is a place where shoppers can recommend or bury a product, share experience and discuss shopping deals.

[Ansley]

Excellent post.!! According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 70 percent of Americans who use the internet have purchased a product online.