Why be the best in one category when you can triumph in six?
Amazon showed it’s not only the most trusted online retailer in the Housewares/Kitchenware category, but also Books, Electronics (tied with Best Buy), Health & Personal Care (tied with Well.ca), Men’s Clothing/Fashion (tied with Mark’s) and, finally, Toys and Games. This is according to BrandSpark International’s Most Trusted Awards for Canadian Online Retail, which is based on the BrandSpark Canadian Shopper Study.
“Amazon has created its own ecosystem for shoppers, who can purchase electronics alongside household items or even food products, receive personalized recommendations backed up by extensive consumer reviews, and receive their products quickly with free shipping,” said Robert Levy, president and CEO of BrandSpark.
That’s not to say that bricks-and-mortar stores aren’t building their own sophisticated e-commerce platforms and spaces, he noted.
The online behemoth “set the tone for e-commerce retail” but Canadians also trust the digital services offered by traditional retailers like Walmart, which topped the Grocery/Food & Beverage category, and Sephora, which ranked first in the Beauty & Cosmetics category. Old Navy has done well for itself in the online space, gaining the trust of consumers and ranking at the top of the list (along with The Children’s Place) in the Baby/Children’s Clothing category, as well as in the Women’s Clothing/Fashion category (along with Sears).
But what makes a consumer trust a retailer’s digital and e-commerce platforms? According to consumers in the survey, it’s three things: consistently strong value (low prices and high-value promotions), a strong selection of quality products, and a consistent and convenient shopping experience.
See the full list of BrandSpark’s Most Trusted Online Retailer, including the top three in each of the 12 categories, below. The survey was fielded in May 2016, with 2,914 Canadian household shoppers each naming their most trusted online retailer (only in categories that they personally shop).
Online Retail Category |
Top 3 Most Trusted Brands (Rank) |
||
Baby / Children’s Clothing |
The Children’s Place (1) |
Old Navy (1) |
Carter’s (3) |
Beauty & Cosmetics |
Sephora (1) |
Amazon (2) |
Well.ca (3) |
Books |
Amazon (1) |
Chapters (2) |
Kobo (3) |
Electronics |
Amazon (1) |
Best Buy (1) |
eBay (3) |
Flights |
Expedia (1) |
Westjet (1) |
Air Canada (3) |
Grocery / Food & Beverage |
Walmart (1) |
Amazon (2) |
Well.ca (3) |
Health & Personal Care |
Amazon (1) |
Well.ca (1) |
Walmart (3) |
Housewares / Kitchenware |
Amazon (1) |
Walmart (2) |
Hudson Bay (3) |
Men’s Clothing / Fashion |
Amazon (1) |
Mark’s (1) |
Hudson Bay (3) |
Toys & Games |
Amazon (1) |
Toys “R” Us (2) |
Walmart (3) |
Travel Accommodations |
Expedia (1) |
Hotels.com (2) |
Booking.com (3) |
Women’s Clothing / Fashion |
Old Navy (1) |
Sears (1) |
Hudson Bay (3) |
Featured image via Shutterstock