Nordstrom was ranked No. 1 in the annual Customer Experience Index results from the e-tailing group, in conjunction with its 18th Annual Mystery Shopping Study conducted in the fourth quarter of 2015. Overall results for the ninth year of indexing came in at 71.12, falling slightly below the 2014 mark of 72.06.
“We are constantly fine tuning our formula based on digital enhancements and heightened customer expectations, though service and merchandising standards are integral to the scoring as well,” said Lauren Freedman, president of the e-tailing group. “Top retailers continue to invest to ensure their digital experiences remain strong. Ecommerce serves as the digital hub where branding, merchandising and customer service all play a role in delivering experiences that support the customer on their shopping journeys. This foundation will only grow in importance in an omnichannel world so achieving excellence must be top-of-mind for every retailer.”
For 2015, Nordstrom elevated its shopping experience to top this year’s crowded field, after not making the top 10 in 2014. Department stores staged a strong showing, with Macy’s garnering the No. 2 spot, while Saks and Bloomingdale’s took sixth and ninth place, respectively. Specialty stores once again gained traction as L.L Bean and The Home Depot made the top 5 cut. Two personal electronics and entertainment players, Crutchfield and B&H, had strong showings as they competed with more well-heeled rivals.
|
MERCHANT |
SCORE |
|
Nordstrom.com |
86.75 |
|
Macy’s |
85.50 |
|
L.L. Bean |
84.25 |
|
The Home Depot |
83.00 |
|
Crutchfield |
82.75 |
|
Saks |
82.50 |
|
B&H Photo |
81.75 |
|
Build |
81.25 |
|
Bloomingdales |
80.25 |
|
HSN |
80.25 |
A rigorous approach to key pages was conducted in 2015 to ensure visual execution and tactical implementation was in place. Key page scores declined year over year from 18.67 to 18.30, suggesting a need for more vigilance in 2016, particularly as the competitive landscape heats up.
A look at retailers who achieved top scores on three of the top key pages reflects their strong efforts:
|
Key Page |
Home Page |
Product Page |
Shopping Cart |
|
Potential Score |
8.00 |
5.00 |
5.00 |
|
EG100 Average |
7.12 |
4.16 |
3.43 |
|
EG100 Average |
7.19 |
4.03 |
3.58 |
|
Retail Winners |
Clarins |
L.L. Bean |
Bloomingdales |
*Highest shopping cart score was 4.75
| Methodology |
The e-tailing group index is calculated through quantitative analysis of metrics extrapolated from its mystery shopping study conducted annually in the fourth quarter with an objective of uniquely understanding how merchants stack up against the e-tailing group’s 100 websites (EG100), direct competitors and their categories. Websites are scored on a 100-point scale based on an assessment of metrics from five key pages, presence and execution of vital merchandising tactics and exemplary customer service.
While proficiency on the home, category, product and help/customer service pages plus the shopping cart accounts for just under 25% of the score, over 40% of the possible points are based on the presence and execution of merchandising features from traditional through onsite search, promotions, gifting, mobile and social. Exemplary customer service functionality accounts for the balance of scoring with a focus on self-service information, the shopping cart, number of days to receive ordered products, order confirmations, live chat and the quality and response times for email/call center queries.
Mike O’Brien is Senior Editor of Multichannel Merchant