CI&T Releases Report Highlighting Top Connected Retailers During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Nordstrom & Target top the rankings for their connected retail ecosystems
NEW YORK and OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CI&T, a leader in driving digital transformation for global brands, today announced the availability of its new Connected Retail Report. This study uses survey data and an in-depth assessment to rank leading retailers on their blended shopping experiences to determine who the most connected retailers are and will continue to be in a post-pandemic world.
"We wanted this report to capture a picture of what the major players in this industry are doing and offer insight into the way forward."
Young Pham, Chief Strategy Officer at CI&T
The report begins with a consumer survey of 530 U.S. shoppers focusing on their purchasing habits and retailer expectations over the past year. The insights from that survey informed an extensive assessment of 10 leading retailers across seven pieces of criteria for a total score of 74 points: overall experience, search, shop, cart, buy, fulfillment and returns.
CI&T's Connected Retail assessment scored industry heavyweights Nordstrom, Target and Home Depot highest while other retailers like PetSmart, Bass Pro Shops and REI excelled in specific areas, but still have room for improvement when it comes to their connected retail ecosystem.
CI&T's Connected Retailer Ranking:
- Nordstrom
- Target
- Home Depot
- Staples
- Walmart
- Foot Locker
- Gap
- PetSmart
- Bass Pro Shops
- REI
- Nordstrom and Target were the only retailers to receive perfect scores in four categories
- Nordstrom: Search, buy, fulfillment, returns
- Target: Search, cart, buy, returns
- Other perfect scorers include:
- Home Depot & Bass Pro Shops: Shop
- Walmart: Fulfillment
"With the vast majority of shoppers reporting their engagement in hybrid purchase behaviors over the last three months, it's become clear that the retailers with the most connected retail experiences won 2020 and are the most future-ready."
Melissa Minkow, Retail Industry Lead at CI&T.
According to the report, the highest-scoring retailers all have histories of innovation and raised the bar even higher in 2020 as stores of all sizes and platforms have been challenged to meet the need for convenience, reliability, decision support and speed in a very different landscape than the ones in which consumers are familiar.
"If the brands on the lower scoring end of the list don't upgrade their connected retail ecosystems, they'll risk falling severely behind."
Melissa Minkow, Retail Industry Lead at CI&T.
Additional report highlights include:
- An analysis of pandemic-related consumer purchase behaviors and expectations.
- Extensive evaluations of the connected shopping experiences of major retail brands.
- Recommendations for retailers to improve their shopping customer experience to meet – and exceed – customer expectations going forward.