Consumers pick favorite online retailers
-- Kids Today, 10/1/2008 7:44:00 AM
STORES Magazine and BIGresearch have compiled their annual Favorite 50 list, which ranks customers' favorite online retail companies. The list is published in the October edition of STORES magazine.
It's not really a surprise that the world's largest online retailer, Amazon.com, is the consumer fave for the second year in a row. The company's introduction of its Kindle book reader and other innovative promotions such as “Friday Five” and “Daily Deals” helps keep it ahead of the competition.
“Consumers have been loud and clear about what they want from retailers when shopping online,” said Rick Gallagher, STORES Magazine publisher. “Retailers on the Favorite 50 list have listened to their shoppers and continue to implement new and better ways to serve their most loyal customers.”
Number two on the list was ebay.com; Google.com was #7 and Overstock.com #8. These are called pure-play retailers – meaning they have Web sites but not stores or catalogs.
A handful of multichannel retailers also made the list. Wal-Mart.com secured the #3 spot with its one-hour online photo service and the more than one million items available on its Web site, while Target.com made the list at #6.
Consumers also raved about multichannel retailer BestBuy.com, which made the list at #4. Best Buy’s Outlet Center has weekly deals and links to customer reviews, as well as price cuts on new merchandise.
“The Internet has revolutionized how Americans shop,” said Phil Rist, vice president of strategy at BIGresearch. “Whether they’re researching merchandise, comparison shopping or just looking for gift ideas, consumers have come to expect a lot from the web and reward retailers that are getting it right.”
Department stores JCPenney.com (#5) and Kohls.com (#9) made the list, partially by offering exclusive labels and celebrity partnerships that help drive traffic and attract younger shoppers. With new bells and whistles to wow its online customers, Sears.com secured the #10 spot.
Newcomers to the Favorite 50 this year include BananaRepublic.com (#41), BedBathandBeyond.com (#42) and BarnesandNoble.com (#50).
STORES Media is the publishing and communications group of the National Retail Federation, the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees - about one in five American workers – and 2007 sales of $4.5 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations.
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