Check out improved online shopping.
 
That’s the goal for a number of retailers who hope to keep online shoppers happy and, of course, increase sales.
 
According to Forrester Research Inc’s The State of Retailing Online 2009: Merchandising Report, retailers have their sights on improving customers’ check-out experiences.  Companies also said they would try to show better images on product detail pages and site search filters to help shoppers find what they want.
 
According to the survey of 117 respondents, 79 percent of retailers said enhancing the checkout process was No. 1 on their list of things to do by the end of 2009.  Retailers also said they would try to be more clear about shipping charges to cut down on the online equivalent of walking away — shopping cart abandonment.
 
“Retailers realize that, particularly during an economic downturn, shoppers who understand shipping charges at the beginning of the checkout process are less likely to abandon their purchases,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, Forrester Research Vice President, Principal Analyst and lead author of the report.
 
As shoppers search for deals, 89 percent of respondents said they plan to introduce sale or clearance pages to their sites in the coming months.
 
The report is being released at a Shop.org event on Wednesday.  Members of the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org will also get the report, which others can buy online.  Forrester clients will be able to access the report as part of their subscription service in August.

Also in the basket:

Gas prices push consumer prices up in June

Two Eddie Bauer creditors look to liquidate stores, sources say (New York Post)

Discounter Daffy’s promotes NYC apartment rental bargain (New York Times)

Levi Strauss swings to loss on currency, soft sales

(Reuters photo)