E-commerce

A deep dive into the Online CX Index: What we have learned over a year

Over the past 12 months, the Humii-Inside Retail Online CX Index has tracked the reality of online shopping in Australia. 

By monitoring thousands of anonymous end-to-end journeys across 534 retailers, each one capturing more than 200 data points through the eyes of real shoppers, we have drawn a clear picture of the state of online retail. 

We have discovered a market where a minority of brands are setting the standard, many others are struggling to stay consistent, and customers are less forgiving than ever.

“This year has seen many records broken, with big swings up and down the CX Index,” explains Humii co-founder and CEO Mareile Osthus.

“We have uncovered some valuable lessons about what drives loyalty, and what sends shoppers to a retailer’s rival.”

Some headline numbers

The most enduring top performer, the retailer to stay the longest in the top spot for customer experience online: LSKD. This achievement reflects the brand’s ability to stay relevant to customers and, equally importantly, prove that consistency counts,” says Osthus.

LSKD also stood out for setting a new benchmark for the industry, with a record index score of 83.1 out of a maximum 100.

The retailer was one of five to deliver consistently high rankings all year. Its peers were Showpo, Bed Threads, Purebaby, and Princess Polly, each of which managed to keep their place in the top 10 during most of the year.

The spread between the best and worst online customer experience performers was a staggering 38.4 points, with the retailer at the bottom of the scale on 44.7, compared with LSKD’s 83.1

“That’s a massive gap, observes Osthus. “It marks the difference between loyalty and churn.”

The best Online CX scores were generally measured in the fashion sector, while the worst were in electronics, with a large gap of almost 10 points on average.

The retailer to record the great fluctuation in performance was Best & Less, which swung from high on the list to well below from month to month. “This company was the rollercoaster of a year,” says Osthus. “However, this could reflect internal restructuring and technology roll-out, so we cannot be too harsh on the brand. The true reflection of where the brand is at will likely evolve in the coming six months or so.”

Variation in abandonment

Analysis of the data for the past year shows a massive gap between the best- and worst-performing retailers when it comes to website abandonment. The best retailer lost just 3 per cent of customers; however, the worst was a stunning 68 per cent. 

“That is a disaster for any retailer in terms of lost revenue,” observes Osthus.  “Just think of the financial impact of failing to get more than two-thirds of your customers to commit to a purchase.”

Customer retention rates also delivered some surprising results. While the retention rate for the top 15 retailers measured was above 89 per cent, the 15 at the bottom of the scale achieved a retention less than 45 per cent. “This is a huge waste of acquisition costs,” says Osthus.

The most-improved retailer during the first year of the index? Intersport and Asics both climbed more than 25 spots in the rankings, “proof that fixing friction pays off fast,” says Osthus..

The bigger picture: What we have learned

Osthus lists four key lessons from a year of analysing the Online CX Index results. 

CX isn’t a ‘nice to have’. “The data is crystal clear: Better experiences mean fewer abandoned carts and more returning customers. Retailers ignoring CX are leaving money on the table.”

Shoppers don’t need perfection, but they demand honesty. “Speed isn’t everything. What matters is setting expectations and meeting them. The brands that communicate clearly about delivery windows, refund times, and support wait times outperform those that overpromise and underdeliver.”

Consistency is the rarest commodity. “Most retailers bounce around the Index. The few that hold their ground prove that steady focus pays off in loyalty and long-term growth.”

AI is no longer optional. “From smarter search to live chat, the retailers experimenting with AI are already raising the bar for the rest of the market. Customers notice the difference, and they’ll start expecting it everywhere.”

Osthus also identifies a lack of clarity regarding the reasons consumers leave websites without completing the checkout process. 

“The conclusion is that there is no single reason,” she explains. Delivery and shipping information is one driver, while a primary reason consumers do not return to a retailer is usually related to a difficult returns process or slow refund times.” 

One message does stand out, however. 

“The online experience is no longer just part of a business; it is the business,” she explains. “Those who get it right are building loyalty and growth. Those who don’t are giving customers a reason to click away.”