The Goncourt Prize on Amazon, a discounted washing machine on C-Discount, that adorable alpaca jumper on La Redoute, or the latest fashion cap at a bargain price on Ebay… Marketplaces are now an integral part of our shopping landscape. Combined with this new connected era, these platforms respond to the omnipresent need for “Everything, right away”. And, ideally, “Cheap”. The bête noires of small shops, these giant platforms are the absolute business benchmark.
These marketplaces do not have a street-front presence, so they rely entirely on their virtual community, and therefore on customer satisfaction, which is a key factor. But what is the reality?

Is overall satisfaction falling?

The latest Insightelling infographic (a blogzine specialising in customer reviews) compares customer experience and satisfaction in the 2017 summer sales with the 2016 summer sales on generalist marketplaces.

Six marketplaces were studied: Amazon, Cdiscount, Fnac, La Redoute, PriceMinister and Rue du Commerce. It turns out that from one year to the next, customer satisfaction is declining. Out of 39,000 consumers from various sources on the social web, overall satisfaction fell from 70% in 2016 to 41% in 2017. This finding is based on key criteria such as price, product availability, delivery, choice and after-sales service.

While customer satisfaction remains stable when it comes to the act of buying, delivery and after-sales service, it has fallen significantly when it comes to the price, choice and availability of items offered by marketplaces.

The best score in 2017 was for the act of purchase, with a satisfaction rate of 60%. In 2016, it was price that came top.

What can we learn from this? While the act of buying still satisfies a majority of online shoppers, the service offered by the marketplace is clearly in decline.

The success and future of marketplaces

The principle of a marketplace is to bring together buyers and sellers in a virtual space. This relationship involves an act of buying online in a secure environment, so a relationship based on trust is essential. Transparency and security are essential, and a sine qua non for the act of buying. And therefore of customer satisfaction.

A good image, customer loyalty, a network and rigour are key factors in the success of marketplaces.

Marketplaces are winning over a large number of e-commerce sites, which see them as a key to long-term development, guaranteeing visibility for their products and their sites.
Product visibility, ease of purchase and order tracking are essential assets for potential buyers. As are the simple returns and refund procedures. These marketplaces meet today’s need for rapid satisfaction.

Marketplaces are revolutionising the digital commerce landscape. They fit in perfectly with the current trend towards online living.

Even if an online purchase does not replace a visit to your local shop, it does have the undeniable advantage of being fast and reliable. The online shopping trend is not about to run out of steam.

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