Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Homebase.co.uk has been rated the worst online retailer in the UK for 2019, according to the latest Which? annual online shops survey.
The consumer association asked more than 7,500 members to rate the most popular online shops based on experiences they have had in the past six months. They were also asked to rate websites for their experiences buying particular items and consider factors including value for money, product range, ease of ordering, deliveries and product quality.
The most highly rated shops were all specialist retailers, with LizEarle.com (93%), RicherSounds.com (93%) and WexPhotoVideo.com (93%) all tying in first place. Customers told Which? that these shops offered top service, great value for money and an extensive range of items.
WexPhotoVideo.com customers praised the camera specialist for its range of more than 20,000 pieces of kit, from lenses and tripods to drones. Wex customers liked the availability of knowledgeable staff via email and live chat.
Shoppers at RicherSounds.com told Which? they love its ‘customer-focused attitude’ and ‘excellent value’. Which? said: ‘Like Wex, Richer Sounds has staff with expert knowledge of the products they’re selling, setting both ahead of the rest.’
At the bottom of the survey, DIY retailer Homebase.co.uk achieved a customer score of 57%. Shoppers gave the retailer just two stars for range of products and two stars for value for money. They also complained about Homebase.co.uk ignoring complaints and selling products that were actually out of stock.
The online stores of two Mike Ashley-owned brands – HouseofFraser.co.uk (60%) and SportsDirect.com (60%) – languish alongside Homebase.co.uk, DIY.com (B&Q) (59%), and WHSmith.co.uk (62%) in the bottom five.
HouseofFraser.co.uk received mixed customer feedback. One shopper explained that the “website is awful”, while others complained about delivery costs. One disgruntled WHSmith.co.uk customer said: “I ordered something only to be told three months later that it was out of stock.” B&Q’s website (DIY.com) scored 59%, with shoppers complaining about the “difficult-to-use” website.
Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine, said: “We continue to see the same brands performing poorly in our survey, with some of the bigger retailers offering disappointing levels of service and inferior websites which often seem to run out of stock.
“Our research shows that if you value a genuinely enjoyable shopping experience, then you might be better off with a smaller brand that can offer a more personalised service.”
See the full list of results here: which.co.uk/onlineshops
In July 2019, Which? asked 7,604 Which? members about their shopping experiences online. Which? generated two sets of results including an overall table based on online shoppers’ general experiences over the past six months; and category tables, where shoppers rated websites based on their most recent experience of buying certain types of products. 30 responses were needed for a retailer to make the tables (samples sizes in brackets). Overall customer score is made up of satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the retailer.
