British retailers are lagging behind their US counterparts in integrating e-commerce into their businesses, according to a report by Quidnunc, a London, UK-based software consultancy.
Twenty firms were canvassed, and none of them reached the top tier, labelled eReady. Company reports and web sites were the chief areas for evidence. Firms were quantified over 22 areas, ranging from visiting a web site to ordering products, checking delivery status and exchanging unwanted merchandise. Points awarded made 44 the highest mark achievable. More than half of the British firms scored less than eight, and were rated in the eBlind category. The top British retailer, stationer and bookstore, WHSmith, scored 25. By contrast, GAP, the US clothing chain, was graded at 36, well inside the 31-44 eReady bracket.
As if to confirm the report, the finance director of Next, the UK clothing retailer, was reported as describing those who use the internet to select clothing as sad. NextÆs group operating profits fell last year by more than 10 million pounds to 155.6m ($253.9m).
