Mystery shoppers ordered one item from each of 50 e-commerce sites and found:
| 1Q 2001 | 4Q 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average shipping charges | $4.95 | $4.73 |
| Backordered/out-of-stock merchandise | 14% | 6% |
| Real-time inventory information | 66% | 42% |
| Real-time order confirmation number | 94% | 84% |
| Average number of days for receipt of item | 3.71 | 4.32 |
| Online shipping status information | 80% | 76% |
| Source: the e-tailing group, 2001 | ||