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The Retail eCommerce Playbook
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Forrester Research, Inc., 60 Acorn Park Drive, Cambridge, MA, 02140 USA
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For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals
Why Read This Report
As retail eCommerce sales continue to explode, eBusiness executives must check all the boxes to ensure
that they are not missing opportunities in this critical channel. This playbook provides insights for all
companies — from those just beginning their eCommerce journey to those extremely experienced in
the industry that are looking to optimize their already successful presence. We will explore the overall
state of the industry, best practices in site execution, technology partners that can support web growth,
benchmarks to evaluate various aspects of an eCommerce business, and recommendations to continue
driving growth in an environment that has ever-changing shoppers.
The Art And Science Of Retail eCommerce
Executive Overview: The Retail eCommerce Playbook
by Sucharita Mulpuru
with Patti Freeman Evans and Douglas Roberge
October 9, 2012
eCommerce is driving growth in retail
As more consumers than ever have access to the Internet and own a variety of devices, such as
smartphones and tablets, that enable them to access web content continuously, the shift to web-based
transactions will continue. Already, 7% of total retail sales in the US are transacted online, a figure that is
even higher if we exclude underpenetrated categories such as grocery.1
The force of eCommerce promises
to dominate the retail sector for years to come for a number of reasons:
■ The Web is altering channel preferences. While total retail sales are growing at a low single-digit
rate (if at all), the retail eCommerce world promises to continue growing at a double-digit clip for the
next several years. Consumers increasingly have a “web first” mentality in their shopping journeys.
Many shoppers begin their research online, supplement their research with web resources, and often
complete transactions online. In categories such as PCs, more than half of all transactions are already
completed through the web channel.
■ Firms are realizing that a powerful transactional presence can be a weapon. Retail has historically
been constrained by retail square footage in stores and inefficient inventory management systems.
Effective web tools now enable retailers to pick web orders from stores where inventory may not be
moving quickly or save the sale of a shopper who may not be able to find the particular item they are
looking for in-store. These features help boost overall sales, increase margins, and drive customer
satisfaction and loyalty.
■ New retail forces are shifting industry dynamics. The growth of large pure-play powerhouses such
as Amazon.com has also shifted focus to the web channel. Not only are companies like Amazon
increasingly a gateway to product research but they have also introduced new ways to think about
retail success: introducing on-site advertising modules, selling competitive goods through lucrative
marketplaces, and leveraging shipping as a marketing program.2