Web Shoppers More Satisfied as Holiday Nears, According to ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark
Web Channel Driving Store & Catalog Sales
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (December 12, 2007) – Holiday shoppers report higher satisfaction with the web shopping experience this week compared to both last week and last year, according to the ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark. Online shopper satisfaction rose 1.7 percent to a score of 77.6 on a 100-point scale for the week between December 3 and December 9, an impressive 3.3 percent higher than satisfaction for the same week in 2006.
“Customer satisfaction has rebounded to pre-holiday levels, a very encouraging trend for the 2007 holiday shopping season,” said Larry Freed, President and CEO of ForeSee Results. “The combination of retailer readiness for the holiday rush and positive reaction to promotions has resulted in robust satisfaction, which should spell strong results for the holiday season and beyond.”
Strong web shopping satisfaction levels are leading to higher likelihood to buy – both online and via offline channels, such as in a store or from a catalog. This year, online shoppers are 4.6 percent more likely to make a future web purchase and 4.1 percent more likely to buy offline than they were during the same week in 2006.
“The web this year has truly come into its own as an integral channel to drive sales beyond the virtual world,” said Freed. “Retailers have successfully integrated the web into their multi-channel strategy so that it’s a better sales channel and a better tool for increasing store and catalog sales.”
In fact, many consumers who leave the website without making a purchase after
putting items into their shopping carts plan to shop offline with the retailer. Compared to last year, consumers who abandon the online shopping process at this critical juncture are 8 percent more likely to buy offline from the retailer, meaning that the sale is often not really “lost.”
The ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark is produced using the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a proven predictor of future sales (online and offline), word of mouth recommendation and financial performance. Data for this week’s release of the ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark was collected between December 3 and December 9 from more than 54,000 visitors to 40+ retail websites, including AT&T Wireless; Best Buy; Cabela’s; Danskin; Helzberg Diamonds; Panasonic; Sephora and Toys R Us, among other major retailers.
For more information on the results of the 2007 ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark, please contact Chaat Bustunturn (415-391-7900, x114; cbutsunturn@kearnswest.com) or Courtney Jenkins (202-821-2120; cjenkins@kearnswest.com)
About ForeSee Results
As the leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, ForeSee Results uses online voice-of-customer data to help companies increase sales, loyalty, recommendations, and website value. Using the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), ForeSee Results identifies which improvements and enhancements to online marketing initiatives will have the greatest ROI. With over a quarter of a billion completed customer surveys to date, more than 30 benchmarks, and nearly 600 online measures across dozens of industries, ForeSee Results’ retail clients include Ace Hardware, Cabela’s, Chef’s Catalog, Danskin, Eastern Mountain Sports, Finish Line, and the NHL, among many others. ForeSee Results, a privately held company, is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and on the web at www.ForeSeeResults.com.