Chasm BenchmarkCX —

Canadian Retail Edition

A comprehensive digital audit of Canada's 44 largest online retailers

About the Benchmark

Digital CX has come to be the biggest differentiator between competitors vying for market leadership today. CX performance is the best indicator of future success as technology change accelerates. Those aiming for market leadership want to know how they are doing against others, including direct competitors and market leaders. Since 2014, Chasm BenchmarkCX has become the industry standard for digital CX measurement.

Overall Ranking
Learn where Canadian online retailers rank based on their overall scores
3 Digital Channels
Comprehensive analysis on 350+ factors across web, mobile & social channels
13 Retail Categories
Retailers compete across 13 major categories and we cover them all
4 New Lenses
From Shopper Friendliness to Design & Usability, we assess you how users do

Capturing Digital Experience

BenchmarkCX relies exclusively on publicly available information which directly impacts the quality of digital experience you are delivering. We capture and test hundreds of factors, including information from your website, your mobile app, your social media accounts, public reviews etc. Our analytics platform collects, evaluates, organizes and analyzes tens of thousands of data points obtained from a variety of sources and applies a proprietary scoring methodology to determine CX Scores across the digital spectrum.

Why We Benchmark

We are at the peak of a digital revolution, and no company can grow or excel without a solid digital presence. Companies who master digital, develop an undeniable lead over their competitors. Digital mastery requires implementation of best practices and big investments. Ultimately, all this means nothing unless you see growth in your online channels and increase revenue through digital channels. By evaluating the CX score for companies across your industry, the BenchmarkCX gives you an accurate indicator of where you stand.

Retailers Evaluated

Shop.ca
Gap Canada
Roots
Banana Republic
The Source Canada
Simons
Holt Renfrew
Footlocker Canada
Peoples
Golf Town
Canadian Tire
H&M Canada
Grand & Toy
Home Hardware
Petsmart
Superstore
Whole Foods Canada
Rona
Loblaws
Shoppers Drug Mart
Rexall
Sobeys
Save on Foods
Sport Chek
Old Navy
London Drugs
The Bay
Staples Canada
Build Direct
Clearly.ca
Ikea Canada
Bed Bath & Beyond
ToysRUs Canada
Zara
Lowes Canada
Cymax.com
Amazon
Walmart Canada
Costco Canada
Best Buy
Chapters
Home Depot Canada
Lululemon
MEC

Results

Results will be announced in Fall 2018

If you would like a confidential consultation, please contact us.

Results will be announced in March 2018

Results will be announced in March 2018

Key Takeaways

01. Retailers Face New Challengers

From eCommerce marketplaces to vertical eCommerce entrants, retailers are facing stiffer competition from new market entrants and online-only companies. These companies run lean operations, enhance their offerings regularly and attract the best digital talent to constantly deliver a better digital experience. These are data-driven organizations who innovate regularly and adapt quickly based on learnings.

02. Biggest Obstacle is Corporate Culture

The biggest hurdle retailers face is a corporate culture steeped in process, massive overhead, incentives which reward the status quo & business practices which are the antithesis of what market leaders like Amazon thrive on. To be successful in the digital economy, retailers need to think strategically, act decisively and reorganize their businesses to act and function more like smaller, nimbler companies.

03. Digital Disruption is Real. And Irreversible.

You can learn a lot by observing disruption in other industries. Netflix did not merely destroy Blockbuster, it has put the future of two massive industries (entertainment & cable) into question. The recent $5B investment in developing it’s own content (just for 2016), is a clear sign how far Netflix has come from merely being merely an online video rental company. It’s the perfect example of what’s possible if you commit yourself to digital leadership.

04. Social Channels are as Important as Search

For the past 18 years, organic and paid web search have been the primary channels for attracting buyers. For many retailers, social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest drive more online traffic and engagement than search engines. Your digital strategy and associated efforts should adjust accordingly to maximize returns. Your challenge is to adopt Social, while still maintaining search dominance.

05. Canadian Retailers Lag in Digital Innovation

In the U.S., and in some emerging economies like India & China, the furious race to own markets and displace incumbents is on. As a result, many retailers are bringing significant digital and service innovations to retain existing customers and attract new ones. The lack of a similar competitive onslaught in the Canadian market has lulled the industry into a sense of comfort, and reduced the immediate impetus for digital innovation.

06. Accelerators Are Key To Rapid Digital Adoption

Retailers face real challenges in their efforts to become digital-first organizations. To ensure retailers remain competitive as they undertake these costly and time-consuming transitions, they need to innovate and deliver digital experiences customers want as quickly as possible. The fastest way to accomplish this is to launch a Corporate Digital Accelerator committed to innovation, experimentation and excellence.

07. Amazon Solidifies Position

Amazon maintains a strong market leadership position, and is growing its influence in more verticals & more markets. It is solidifying it’s lead by continuing to innovate with products like Echo & Dash. It is also improving it’s wildly successful Prime loyalty program & investing in its own logistics capabilities to improve service delivery. Amazon is also moving into services, groceries and introducing same day delivery in many cities.

08. Grocery Picking Up Steam. Room for Innovation.

Grocery retailers are finally introducing eCommerce capabilities, allowing for buy online and pickup in store options. Save-on-Foods and Fresh St. Market (not included in our evaluation) now offer online ordering and home delivery, while Loblaws/Superstore only offer online ordering and in store pickup. This is a good start, but there remains significant scope for innovation in this market.

Press & Media Inquiries

We would love to speak with you

Our findings are of immense interest to retail executives, online shoppers, analysts, policy makers and the broader business community. If you would like to discuss any of our findings, or publish any of the results, please contact us. We are also available for media interviews. Let's talk!




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