The first UK version of the respected American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has put ecommerce at the top of the retail tree for overall customer satisfaction.

The UK National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI-UK) for the retail sector has debuted with an overall score of 74.8 for the fourth quarter of 2008, on a 0-100 point index scale, close to the US retail average of 75.2 reported for the same period.

Of the five retail categories measured, ecommerce easily outpaced an otherwise close running race in terms of competing retailers. "This indicates that further investment in the online channel could provide retailers opportunities to drive sales growth through a more satisfying shopping experience," says CFI Group.

The findings were gathered from nearly 6,000 customers' experience with retailers and covered the 24 largest supermarkets, petrol stations, electrical retailers, department stores and ecommerce sites, with others reported in the 'All Other' category. Petrol stations have only been measured at an industry level due to sample size.

The Index examines not only customer satisfaction but also customers' expectations, perceived quality, perceived value, customer complaints and loyalty as well as other measures related to satisfaction such as corporate social responsibility. The ACSI is used in the US as a prime indicator of corporate performance and economic strength, but this is the first time the methodology has been applied to the UK retail market.

The NCSI-UK measures only the largest pure internet companies by name, while the online business of smaller Internet companies and traditional brick-and-mortar retailers is included in the aggregate score for "other providers".

Key findings included:

Aggregate customer satisfaction with UK retail is 74.8 on a 0-100 point scale.
Ecommerce came a clear top with a score of 82, followed by department stores at 76, and petrol stations at 75; electrical retailers and supermarkets are at the bottom with a score of 74.
Top and bottom scorer across all categories: Play.com comes top of the class with a score of 87, while at the other end of the scale is Somerfield at 61.
Both the quality and value of the online shopping experience are rated superior and consumers who have purchased merchandise online are highly loyal to this channel.
NCSI-UK scores for E-Commerce
Play.com 87
Amazon.co.uk 85
Others 83
Average 82
iTunes 82
eBay.co.uk 79
Ticketmaster 74

Elsewhere, John Lewis topped the department store category with 80 and Waitrose topped the supermarket section with a score of 82.

"As the economy slows, the big challenge for retailers of all types will be how to compete to retain shoppers who are becoming increasingly conservative with their spending," commented Sheri Teodoru, CEO of CFI Group . "Here customer satisfaction is key: Companies that provide the most satisfying experience stand the best chance not only to survive, but to thrive financially in a down economy."

Full details and scores are available from the NCSI-UK website.

Source: Internet Retailing 24 Feb 2009

The reason we've seen a spate of surprisingly good online trading results for the Christmas and New Year period is beginning to become apparent. Online sales were up in December by twice the rate they increased in November, according to figures from the BRC


Research performed in early 2008 revealed that around 40% of small businesses in the East of England don't have a website and could be losing millions of pounds in lost trade because of not having an online presence.

WaitroseLIVE incorporates both a glossy design and a host of leading edge features, including video recipes and enabling readers to order goods by simply clicking on a purchase button located on the page.
Click Here To View

New Global Domain launches on 3 December 2008
Your permanent presence on all electronic media browsers, phones, mobiles, E-mail, blackberries, VOIP or fax.

.tel will become the new standard for connecting with your clients and friends,
whenever you or they want, and in whatever medium available.

Content is under your control and it is so simple to use. You can manage your .tel
addresses. You can add, change or delete whatever appears about you and your
business.

The .tel registry will publish ‘Telepages’, a searchable directory of information
stored in .tel domain names. Leading search engines such as Google and Yahoo will
index .tel domain names.

Launch Timetable
3 December 2008 Sunrise, for Registered Trade Mark holders only
3 February 2009 Landrush, free for all (at a premium)
24 March 2009 General Availability, first day queue
25 March 2009 General Availability, no queue

How it Works

We will only accept one unique .tel name applied for in each of our registration
queues. Duplicates will not be accepted. In our queue, as at the .tel registry all
applications will be on a first come first served basis. We will not auction domain
names.
Fee for joining our queue:
• Sunrise £65
• Landrush £25
• General Availability queue £15
• General Availability no queue no fee

You will need a .tel Domain

UK retail sales were down 0.9% in July on a like-for-like basis compared with the previous year, meaning sales have now fallen in four of the past five months.The poor July performance on the high street comes after sales fell 3.9% in June - the sharpest monthly decline since records began. But the slump did not affect online retailers as internet shopping sales increased to a record £26.5bn in first half of 2008.

Online sales are predicted to account for 44% of all sales by 2020 with £163bn a year spent. British consumers now spend more than three days a year (1.6 hours a week) shopping online, making it a more popular online activity than banking, listening to the radio and downloading music.

The affect of people turning away from the shops to the computer was highlighted by the The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG figures.

Source: BBC News 12 August 2008

Here in the UK, two-thirds of shoppers say they are more likely to shop online for Christmas presents this year, with 77% planning to carry out half or more of their Christmas shopping online (in 2007 it was 56%), according to the latest e-CSI index from IMRG, eDigitalResearch and ipoints.co.uk:

The research also highlights that the internet is becoming increasingly important as a tool for research before purchase and for driving consumer choice. The internet will be used by 86% of shoppers surveyed to research Christmas shopping options before buying in-store, and vice versa 59% stated they plan to research gift options in-store before buying online. Interestingly, the research also reveals that 58% of respondents are looking to commence their Christmas shopping earlier this year, to spread the cost, citing the economic slowdown as the main reason.

Overall, the e-CSI Index reveals the number of respondents satisfied with shopping online is high at 79%, with those happy with the delivery of products by online retailers at 80%, and the number of those pleased with the range of products available online at 84%. In addition, 74% are satisfied with security offered by web retailers and 76% are happy with the help available on websites provided by online retailers when they have a query.

"The research reveals online retailers are in a strong position to benefit from a potentially bumper Christmas, particularly as shoppers are generally very satisfied with their online experience," says Robert Barker, chief operating officer of Maximiles (the owners of ipoints.co.uk). "However, it's important e-retailers look to deliver added-value in a sluggish economy. This means offering tangible rewards and offers to encourage increased customer retention and future spend."

Chris Russell at eDigitalResearch added that: "While customer satisfaction is currently high, e-retailers shouldn't become complacent. With the demand for Internet shopping set to reach a record high this Christmas, e-retailers need to ensure that they have the appropriate resources available to respond promptly to customer requests. Customers often email product or delivery queries before they decide to purchase online and it is important that these queries are answered within 24 hours in order to ensure satisfaction and boost loyalty."

Source: InternetRetailing September 09 2008