NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Findings released today from the 2012 Harris Poll Shopper Satisfaction Study of Online Retailers: A Look at The Online Shopping Landscape – a study of online shopper satisfaction and other factors for specific retailers from Best Buy to Walmart and more – show that Amazon outperforms the competition on all measures.  The study found that a majority of online U.S. adults are satisfied with the overall online shopping experience; all retailers tested receive a rating of a 5 through a 7 on a 7-point scale. Also, all tested brands show positive recommendation likelihood scores.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO )

The study examined 14 key retailers, providing competitive insights for brands across a number of topics, including the selection of products, ease of shopping, perceived value and likelihood to recommend, along with overall satisfaction ratings.  The platform allows any retailer to field its own study for comparison, using the same questionnaire.  Complete information regarding the study, including questions and response, can be found by visiting www.google.com/insights/consumersurveys/harrispoll/onlineretailer.

Among the other websites in the study, Costco Wholesale receives high marks when it came to mass merchandisers seen as offering a good value, Zappos and L.L. Bean share the top spot for selection of products in the clothing and apparel category, and online shoppers rate Kohl's website highest for ease of shopping within the department category.

Value counts

When asked which factor – value, selection or ease of shopping – is most important in determining return visits to an online retailer, the most-selected factor is good value for the money (33%), by a considerable margin over both ease of shopping (16%) and selection of products (10%), though the top response overall is not at all sure (41%). 

Beyond Amazon, Costco is the second topmost ranked mass merchandiser for value, with Walmart and Target close behind. Kohl's is the top-ranked department store for perceived value, and L.L. Bean and Zappos are the top-ranked clothing and apparel websites for the same.

Additional study findings include:

Men and women agree on lingerie

On almost every measure for every retailer tested, positive ratings among women outpaced those of men.  However, positive ratings of Victoria's Secret among men are roughly even with those of women for selection of products (75% men vs. 72% women) and likelihood to recommend to a friend or relative (73% men vs. 71% women).

How May I Help You?

Nordstrom, long known for its commitment to customer service and satisfaction, may have some ground to make up with online shoppers in the New Year, as it doesn't rank in the top ten in terms of overall online customer satisfaction.  Specialty retailer L.L. Bean ranks seven spots higher (4^th) than Nordstrom (11^th) on the customer satisfaction list; other major retailers Kohl's and JCPenney (tied for 7^th) also outperform Nordstrom on this measure.

Methodology

The Harris Poll 2012 State of Online Retailing Report: A Look at the Online Shopping Landscape profiled shopper satisfaction with fourteen online retailers within the mass merchandiser, clothing & apparel, and department store categories.  Results were collected online with the unique Google Consumer Surveys approach from October 25, 2012 through November 13, 2012 – with between 300 and 500 responses per question.  When possible, results were weighted by inferred gender, age and geography to make the sample as representative as possible of the U.S. Internet population. Complete benchmark results of the study are accessible, free of charge, by visiting www.google.com/insights/consumersurveys/harrispoll/onlineretailer.

Additional online retailers that wish to collect and compare their shopper satisfaction ratings with this industry benchmark are able to run the same survey within the cost effective, self-service Harris Poll and Google Consumer Surveys platform. Results are fast, affordable and accurate. Findings are delivered in Google-powered reports, charts and insights and typically cost a fraction of traditional market research.

About the Harris Poll and Google Consumer Surveys Platform

The Harris Poll and Google Consumer Surveys have partnered to develop and bring to market a new choice for consumers of market research. On an ongoing basis, industry benchmarks will be collected and delivered, free of charge, within the Harris Poll and Google Consumer Surveys platform. Through the Harris Poll and Google Consumer Surveys platform, businesses, both large and small, are able to then compare themselves to these industry benchmarks at a fraction of the cost of traditional market research. 

About Google Consumer Surveys

Google Consumer Surveys, part of Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), is a fast, accurate, and affordable way to do quantitative market research online. Google Consumer Surveys takes a new approach to survey sampling, data collection and post-stratification weighting. People browsing the web come across your questions when they try to access premium content like news articles or videos. Questions run across sites in our diverse publisher network in order to get the necessary respondents. Publishers-online news sites, video creators, and app developers-make money as site visitors provide answers. Google automatically aggregates and analyzes responses, providing the data back to you through a simple online interface.
www.google.com/insights/consumersurveys

About the Harris Poll

The Harris Poll, part of Harris Interactive Inc. (NASDAQ: HPOL), is one of the longest running and most respected barometers of public opinion in the United States. It has become synonymous with marketplace credibility and is widely accepted as a trusted source of accurate information for businesses, consumers and the media alike. The Harris Poll's reputation, quality, and compelling content from opinion polling as well as multi-client studies make better media coverage and wider reach possible. For more information, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.

©2012 Harris Interactive      All rights reserved. 

Press Contact:
Jenny Davis
Dotted Line Communications for Harris Interactive
925-935-2558
jenny@dottedlinecomm.com

SOURCE Harris Interactive