One quarter of attempted holiday purchases over the Internet typically end without a sale being made, according to a study by Andersen Consulting . Attempting to purchase 480 gifts at 100 different Web sites, Andersen Consulting was able to complete only 350 orders. The answer is that it may not be better to go to the Web yet. At the same time, retailers which consistently satisfy online customers enjoy a distinct competitive advantage, since selling products online isn't just another way to take orders.
Success depends on fulfillment operations that can meet high levels of customer service.
Companies run a high risk of losing customer loyalty through poor performance. Right now, reliability and service are the only things that matter. The typical Internet buying experience between noon and 6 PM lasted 13 minutes. Internet pure plays and catalog companies. All orders were placed over a seven-day period, morning, afternoon and evenings, and delivered across the country to Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.