Amazon vs. Wal-Mart: Will Retailers Outperforming Pure Play eCommerce?!?
The latest eDigitalResearch eRetail Benchmark Study reveals that traditional retailers are now consistently outperforming their pure play and traditional catalogue rivals online, using multi channel technology and customer service expertise to their advantage.
Now in its 10th year, the index surveyed 46 of retail’s top performing websites, using eDigitalResearch’s unique eMysteryShopper tool to evaluate each site based on the entire customer journey, from first impressions to shopping basket, purchase, delivery and supporting communications.
However, when it comes to functionality, most traditional retailers can still learn a thing or two from their pure play counterparts. Amazon, in particular, was applauded for its ‘Google style’ predictive text keyword search, quick and easy transaction process and product reviews while ASOS’s (Asos.com) information, images and catwalk video’s scored well. Both Amazon and ASOS made it into the top ten overall performers.
Ten years ago the ‘pure play’ ecommerce operators ruled when it came to selling online. However, slowly but surely, multi channel retailers have chipped away at their advantage,"
While ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers have always held the customer service advantage, they are now gaining commercial advantage too, investing in technology and integration across multiple purchasing channels. If they continue to embrace new media channels while delivering a traditional ethos of exceeding customer expectations then multi channel retailers stand a good chance of running their pure play counterparts out of the market.
– eDigitalResearch’s Head of Research Derek Eccleston.
To the above conclusion, I say…bullsh*t, but that is just my opinion. However I do see the space getting very crowded in the next 2 years. Retailers will NOT be satisfied with just selling their stuff and splitting fees and customer base with sales platforms like eBay and Amazon.
Ultimately these retailers WILL compete directly. Who will win the battle? That is a fight I will watch very close.
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