Nordstrom, Macy’s, GameStop Make Big Strides on STORES’ Favorite 50 Online Retailers List

For Immediate Release
Kathy Grannis (202)783-7971 or grannisk@nrf.com

Read the complete STORES Favorite 50 article
Read STORES Magazine’s September cover story, E-Commerce Elite

Nordstrom, Macy’s, GameStop Make Big Strides on STORES’ Favorite 50 Online Retailers List

Washington, September 1, 2011 – Though retail giants Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy still top consumers’ lists of favorite places to shop online, a batch of new companies is climbing the ranks, according to STORES Magazine’s Favorite 50 Online Retailers survey. The survey, conducted by BIGresearch and published in the September issue of STORES Magazine, found Macy’s, Forever 21, Aeropostale and Nordstrom each made big impressions with online shoppers this year.

“Retailers in all categories have been investing in their websites to be accessible to customers whenever and however they want to shop,  and a growing number are reaping the ultimate reward - shoppers are not just visiting the websites, they’re clicking the buy button,” said Susan Reda, Editor, STORES Media. “For online shoppers, value is just as important as convenience. Retailers are working overtime to make sure the experience meets their shoppers’ needs.”

In addition to consumers’ sentiments in the fifth annual Favorite 50, STORES also features a look at the E-Commerce Elite, the retailers that industry experts and observers say are defining the online channel.  STORES highlights those findings here.

Amazon.com, Walmart.com, eBay.com, BestBuy.com and JCPenney.com maintained the top five spots, respectively, in the Favorite 50. Thanks in part to its exclusive private label offerings, Macys.com joined the top 10 for the first time, jumping from No. 11 to No. 8 this year.

The top 10 are as follows:

1.  Amazon.com

2. Walmart.com

3.  eBay.com

4.  BestBuy.com

5. JCPenney.com

6. Kohls.com

7. Target.com

8. Macys.com

9.  Sears.com

10. Google.com

Apparel retailers Forever21.com and Aeropostale.com made significant strides on this year’s list, each climbing 14 spots - Forever21.com from No. 37 to No. 23 and Aeropostale.com from No. 47 to No. 33. Tween and teen retailers have continued to perform above expectations thanks to their savvy and fashionable customers who have discretionary money to spend. Both retailers market “fast fashion” at affordable prices, something both teens and their parents love.

Nordstrom.com (No. 30) and GameStop.com (No. 50) debut on the list this year. Nordstrom.com recently added online inventory at the store level and now also allows shoppers to buy online and pick up in-store. GameStop.com provides something for everyone with links on their website to download, trade-in and buy pre-owned games.

“Shoppers today are most attracted to websites that appeal to their budget and their desire for up-to-date fashions and merchandise,” said Pam Goodfellow, Consumer Insights Director, BIGresearch. “Though many consumers are still brand loyalists, more people are beginning to experiment with comparison shopping, opening up their minds and wallets to companies that provide the service and the price they want.”

The E-Commerce Elite and Favorite 50 are sponsored by Bronto, Hybris Software, Mercent and Verisign.

About the Survey

The STORES Favorite 50 Online Retailers is a list of e-commerce websites as ranked by the consumers who use them. The survey polled 8,379 shoppers and asked two open-ended questions: “What website do you shop most often for apparel items?” and “What website do you shop most often for non-apparel items?” No merchant’s names were listed or suggested. The final list was assembled by ranking online companies in order of total mentions. 

BIGresearch® consumer intelligence provides analysis of behavior in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive and media. The BIGresearch Consumer Intentions and Actions® Survey (CIA®) of 8,000+ respondents is conducted monthly and the Simultaneous Media Usage® Survey (SIMM®) of 15,000+ respondents is conducted semi-annually.

STORES Media is the publishing group of the National Retail Federation (NRF), the world’s largest retail trade association. STORES Media offerings include STORES Magazine (print, digital and mobile editionsdigital versions), STORES.org, STORES Weekly and the STORES Knowledge Series. STORES products report on the broad spectrum of strategic issues facing senior retail executives, including: retail technology, supply chain and logistics, credit and payment systems, loss prevention, human resources, online retailing, communications, marketing, merchandising and other vital store operations.

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