House of Fraser named top multichannel retailer

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jun 6, 2017

British department store House of Fraser has taken this year the top spot in a new ranking of multichannel retailers, jumping 10 positions as it ramps up its multichannel efforts.

Commerce agency Ampersand analysed over 180 clothing and general retailers to produce a report on e-commerce trends and customer experience with a unique insight into high street retailers selling online and in branded physical stores in the UK.

Retailers including Harrods, Dune, Cos, Flannels, Jigsaw, Burberry, Armani, Barbour, Fred Perry, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Hobbs, Debenhams, Dior, Anya Hindmarch, Aquascutum, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Whistles were included in the report, which gives brands actionable items to focus on as they improve their e-commerce experiences.

It found that nearly 22% of retailers are still failing to offer a persistent cart (allowing a customer to add an item on one device and access it on another device later) - and that when it comes to checkout, 44% of brands do not show accepted payment types until the basket page.

House of Fraser was named the best multichannel retailer, scoring 90 out of 100 for its clear website navigation, the variety of its delivery options and the introduction of geolocation on mobile and desktop.

It was followed by Schuh with 87 points, Argos with 84, B&Q with 81 and Screwfix with 80 points. Karen Millen, M&S, Superdry, Coast and Warehouse rounded up the top 10.

According to the report, the number of retailers charging for click-and-collect has increased from 0 to 17 since 2014, with some retailers such as Sports Direct offering to give customers a £5 voucher at collection. 67% of the brands surveyed take more than one day to fulfil click-and-collect orders and a surprising 32% don’t offer click-and-collect to store.

Meanwhile, 19% of retailers don’t offer next-day delivery including brands such as The North Face, Zara, Hugo Boss and Mulberry.

“Many retailers are still failing to nail basic multichannel services,” said Darryl Adie, managing director of Ampersand, in the report.

He suggests retailers to make their website really easy to browse across multiple devices, offer a persistent cart, extend delivery options and deliver a click-and-collect item early.