We came across an interesting post that was included on InternetRetailer.com, which discussed the e-tailing group’s recent findings from their customer satisfaction survey. The e-tailing group mystery shopped 100 retail web sites and scored merchants on 80 metrics split into three categories: execution of key pages (25 points), merchandising (43 points) and customer service tactics (32 points).

It was surprising to see that just eight out the 100 e-tailers included in the fourth quarter survey scored an 80 or above on a scale of 100, although, Lauren Freedman, president of the e-tailing group, noted that it can be quite difficult for merchants to excel across all three categories.

Considering these stringent requirements, we’d like to offer our congratulations to those eight merchants who have continuously shown their dedication to providing an exceptional experience to their customers, and offer a particular note of praise to the two ATG customers who received this distinction.

The eight retailers scoring an 80 or above along with their scores this year compared to last and the percent increases are as follows:

• Sears, 88.25, 67.90, 21.48%
• Golfsmith, 82.25, 75.50, 8.94%
• Frontgate, 80.75, 70.00, 15.36%
• L.L. Bean, 80.50, 76.00, 5.92%
• Discovery Channel, 80.50, 76.00, 5.92%
• Amazon, 80.50, 73.00, 10.27%
• Best Buy, 80.50, 68.50, 17.52%
• Orvis, 80.00, 75.50, 5.96%

Kudos to these merchants who are also committed to improving their customers’ experiences while shopping online. Keep up the great work.

Remember when companies built their own ERP systems? Right…neither do we. But at one time, they did, with regularity. Now, it seems an antiquated notion. With ERP systems fully mature and quite powerful, there really is no business case to build out your own at this point. The same shift has now occurred with e-commerce platforms.

As companies push the envelope of their e-commerce technologies to support multichannel and international strategies, many are replacing their existing commerce platforms in the search for richer functionality, greater flexibility and superior scalability. As e-commerce teams begin the voyage to best-of-breed platform nirvana, an early question is often posed: build or buy? Commerce platforms have evolved significantly over the past 10 years, and there is an unprecedented level of powerful features and functionality baked into the top commercial platforms.

Many times, retail I.T. departments have very limited resources. When it comes to this question of build vs. buy, companies that choose to build an e-commerce platform and applications in house are often putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage. They’re essentially following the market rather than leading if competitors buy an e-commerce solution with the latest practical or cool features already bundled in. There are a whole host of other arguments that make the case for buying over building. One of the key analysts covering the market, Forrester’s Brian Walker, is the latest to weigh in. We’ll let you take his word for it.

Amidst retailers announcing layoffs and consistently slowing foot traffic to brick and mortar locations, the AP reported this morning that surprisingly, U.S. retail sales grew 1 percent in January, reversing a six-month declining trend and defying economists’ expectations by posting the biggest increase in 14 months. While this good news isn’t expected to last, it does offer a glimmer of hope and points to a bright spot in non-store retail sales that includes online shopping. Indeed, sites like InternetRetailer.com have been regularly highlighting e-commerce gains for brands that continue to report sluggish overall sales – brands like Urban Outfitters, Talbots, and Best Buy. The Web still provides a means for consumers to seek the best deals from multiple retailers without leaving home, and those who have created more personalized sites with enhanced shopping experiences are continuing to win the loyalty of cash-strapped consumers.