Online basket study reveals retailer shortcomings

A Logan Tod product story

Edited by the Marketingweek Marketplace editorial team Jul 2, 2009

A study into the online baskets of 30 leading retailers has been completed by Logan Tod.

The research, which rates each retailer's overall performance in 12 key categories, spans multiple e-tail sectors including entertainment, fashion and consumer technology.

Game tops the list with a score of 67 per cent, with River Island finishing last due to compulsory downloading of specific flash files.

John Lewis (60 per cent) and Amazon (53 per cent) complete the top three while next highest are Apple, Ebuyer and Littlewoods, all with 47 per cent.

At the other end of the spectrum, market giants such as PC World (20 per cent) O2 (13 per cent) and Ikea (13 per cent) brought up the rear.

Overall, the average score across all 30 is 34 per cent.

The evaluation criteria includes examining whether the sites offered such key elements as product images, a list of recently viewed items, availability of products, security logos and 'continue shopping' links displayed less prominently than the 'checkout' button.

Although the majority of sites have web analytics present, and product images displayed, other basics are still missing in many cases, the research revealed.

For instance, 40 per cent of the websites do not have 'persistent' baskets lasting more than just a few hours if at all, while confirmation of availability and handling/delivery costs (rated the most important feature by customers when buying from a site) are present in only 33 per cent of the sites.

Even 'recently viewed items', displayed on other pages such as product listings on many sites, is absent in all but three cases.

Matthew Tod, chief executive at Logan Tod, said: 'The low scores from these e-commerce leaders are quite surprising, especially when you consider the sums of money involved in setting up and running their websites.

'Retailers need to be acutely aware of how their baskets are performing and the effect it is having on their online sales.

He added: 'The shopping basket is the start of the checkout process and a key area for retailers to deliver an outstanding customer experience.

'If I had the choice to change only one thing on any website to optimise success this Christmas, it would be the basket page.