foresee

Online Shopper Satisfaction Holds Steady, According to ForeSee Results Holiday
Retail Benchmark

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (December 8, 2008) – Despite a decrease in online shopper satisfaction on Cyber Monday year-over-year, customer satisfaction with retail websites has remained fairly steady ever since, according to ForeSee Results’ weekly holiday benchmark. Satisfaction last week is on par with satisfaction on Cyber Monday (down very slightly from 75.9 on the study’s 100-point scale on Cyber Monday to 75.6 during the following week).

ForeSee Results measures online customer satisfaction using the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) which predicts purchase intent (both online and offline) as well as loyalty and recommendations. Because of the ACSI’s scientifically proven predictive abilities, for many online retailers, satisfaction is the best measure of future success and can be a crucial bellwether during uncertain economic times.

“The fact that satisfaction with online shopping has stayed fairly consistent this year during such a difficult economy makes me cautiously optimistic that we’re going to have a better e-retail season than originally predicted,” said Larry Freed, President and CEO of ForeSee Results. “We usually see satisfaction maintain or change only slightly after Cyber Monday, and it’s good to see the same pattern this year, when nothing else has been predictable or normal in any way.”

Satisfaction is still lower this year than in previous years, but “all things considered, this isn’t nearly as bad as we might expect,” added Freed.

Other findings from the second weekly holiday benchmark report:

  • Customer satisfaction with online prices is down slightly from the previous week, which is logical given the drop off in extreme discounts and promotions the weekend after Thanksgiving.


  • Satisfaction with site performance dipped on Cyber Monday as high traffic levels taxed websites, but has bounced back to previous levels as traffic stabilized.


  • Shoppers are less likely to purchase online this week than they were on Cyber Monday (because of fewer deals and discounts), but still more likely to buy online than they were at any point in November. In fact, likelihood to purchase online is higher this week than it was the weekend after Thanksgiving.

“We were all hoping that Cyber Monday would be just the beginning of a series of high volume, high sales points throughout the holiday season, and it looks like that’s happening.” said Freed.  “Maintaining consistent levels of customer satisfaction throughout the holiday shopping period will separate the companies who are able not only to survive this year, but to thrive from those that will be closing their doors in January.”

METHODOLOGY

This second report in a series of ForeSee Results’ weekly holiday benchmarks was done using the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which has been proven to be predictive of future sales (online and offline), word of mouth, and financial performance. Data was collected from more than 70,000 visitors to more than 80 online retailers between Monday, 12/1/08 and Sunday 12/7/08. Sites in the benchmark include Ace Hardware, Best Buy, Newegg.com, Borders, Finish Line, NFL, Eastern Mountain Sports, Sears, Chico’s and Danskin to name a few.

About ForeSee Results

As the leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, ForeSee Results captures and analyzes online voice of customer data to help organizations increase sales, loyalty, recommendations and website value. Using the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), ForeSee Results identifies the improvements to websites and other online initiatives with the greatest ROI. With over 30 million survey responses collected to date and benchmarks across dozens of industries, ForeSee Results offers unparalleled expertise in customer satisfaction measurement and management. ForeSee Results works with clients across industries, including: retail, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and government.

ForeSee Results, a privately held company, is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with offices in London, and Toronto. ForeSee Result can be found online at www.ForeSeeResults.com.