The Best and Worst Online Stores This Holiday

The Best Online Stores This Holiday

10. VictoriasSecret.com
> Score: 81
> Point change from last year: +2
> Audience size: 9,608,087
> 12 -change: +13.44%
> Revenue: $9.6 billion

Victoria’s Secret is the lingerie company owned by Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD). The website’s customer service increased by two points from last year. Traffic on VictoriasSecret.com increased 13.4% from last year. The Victoria’s Secret fashion show aired at the end of November, drawing more than 10 million viewers. The show drove visitors to the site during the all-important week following Thanksgiving, the week that marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

9. LLBean.com
> Score: 81
> Point change from last year: -2
> Audience size: 7,091,212
> 12-month change: +45.90%
> Revenue: n/a

The L.L. Bean website has enjoyed a larger increase in audience size than any other site on this list. This is partially the result of the company’s decision to drop all shipping fees, regardless of the amount spent on each order, this year. The company is one of only a few, such as Zappos.com, to adopt such policy. Additionally, the company, which is a high-end brand, has a strong focus on customer service in order to maintain its customer base.

8. BN.com (Barnes & Noble)
> Score: 81
> Point change from last year: n/a
> Audience size: 1,098,370
> 12-month change: +39.31%
> Revenue: $7 billion

Due to the success of e-books and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) is likely a company that will not be around for too much longer. Former competitor and book-selling giant Borders went belly-up halfway through 2010, and unless this company can successfully make the transition away from bricks-and-mortar operations, that is likely to be its fate too. The indicators of whether this is achievable is the success of the company’s online division, and particularly its Nook e-reader, which competes with Amazon’s Kindle line. The company is making a case for its continued existence in these areas, as site traffic jumped nearly 40% over the past 12 months, and customer satisfaction is eighth among the top 40 e-retailers.

7. Newegg.com
> Score: 82
> Point change from last year: +0
> Audience size: 6,063,608
> 12-month change: -0.72%
> Revenue: n/a

Customer electronics retailer Newegg.com has one of the overall highest customer satisfaction scores and the second highest among companies in the computers and electronics category. The company has a highly specialized consumer base, making it easier to address customer concerns. The site has clearly done an exceptional job at keeping customers happy, and is behind only Amazon.com in sales among online-only retailers.