Shopper satisfaction with retail websites remains strong this week, according to the latest release of the ForeSee Results Holiday Retail Benchmark. While aggregate customer satisfaction for the week between December 10 and December 16 slipped 0.7 percent from last week to a score of 77 on a 100-point scale, it remains two percent higher than customer satisfaction in the same week last year.
"With just one week to go before Christmas, we see the continuation of a positive trend for e-retailers," said Larry Freed, President and CEO of ForeSee Results. "Compared to last year, shoppers browsing retail sites to research products and comparison shop are more satisfied and are more likely to buy from retailers in all channels."
The weekly ForeSee Results Benchmark shows continued strong performance in key financial metrics regarding future behaviors that are influenced by customer satisfaction. In terms of purchase behavior, likelihood to buy from the retailer's offline channels (84.8) is up 4.1 percent over last year, while likelihood to buy online (75.2) is up 3.3 percent over last year at this time.
"Even though the rate of year-over-year growth in online sales is down a bit, retailers' websites are still playing a decisive role in driving revenues to the bottom line," said Freed. "When you take into account the economic challenges of this holiday season, the 19 percent increase reported in online sales to date this year is quite impressive."
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 Benchmark was collected between December 10 and December 16 from more than 50,000 site 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 Butsunturn (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 the improvements and enhancements to online marketing initiatives that 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.