2018 Retail Personalization Index
The industry’s most comprehensive guide to modern personalization and customer experience management, covering 100 innovative retail leaders. Personalization is a game-charger for marketers, but executing it is easier said than done. That’s why we launched our first Retail Personalization Index last year. We surveyed 13,000 consumers and based on their responses, we developed a proprietary methodology for experiencing and evaluating 100 global retail and ecommerce brands.
We browsed websites, signed up for emails, and downloaded mobile apps. Then we began analyzing what came next. Were the product recommendations relevant? Did newsletter content reflect our browser history? How integrated was the entire experience across different channels? In other words, did they show us that they know us?
Inspired by its response — global leaders like Macy’s, Lowe’s and Office Depot got their scores to see how they compared to the rest of the top 100 — we decided to do it again. But this year, we went bigger, evaluating more than 250 brands in fashion and apparel, health and beauty, marketplace, pets, jewelry and every category in between.
There were some clear standouts last year, like Sephora, JustFab and Walmart. All three improved their personalization capabilities and maintained their superstar status. At the same time, brands like Urban Outfitters and The Body Shop improved even more, joining them at the top of the list.
Learn more about Sailthru’s Personalization Index here including viewing the top-ranked brands, getting your own experience score, and accessing resources to help define your own personalization roadmap. SCORE: 92
WEBSITE: 30/30 EMAIL: 30/30 MOBILE: 15/15 OTHER: 17/25
Sephora’s obsession with its customer journey allows shoppers to keep track of each purchase location, choose between favorite store locations and quickly locate one of the beauty empire’s 2,300 worldwide storefronts. Sephora builds its brand through shows and community events, offering unique in-store services to customers, like appointments with makeup professionals. Sephora, though younger than most brands on our list, retains its balance in a digital-obsessed landscape, ensuring its online presence doesn’t overshadow the in-person ‘experience’ that consumers can gain through interacting with Sephora’s products and brand.
Why we love Sephora:
• Seamless integration across all channels, including physical stores
• Best-in-class mobile app leads in customer experience and personalization
• Tri-tiered “Beauty Insider” program is abundant with lavish rewards and gifts
• All the bells and whistles, like virtual try-on, foundation match tools, and more SCORE: 84
WEBSITE: 30/30 EMAIL: 23/30 MOBILE: 15/15 OTHER: 16/25
The Body Shop jumped 49 spots this year with its cross-channel approach to personalization and perfectly on-brand experience. The brand encourages reward members to donate a portion of their rewards to charity, but it may be too hard to resist using points on the wide variety of recommendations offered, and robust retargeting campaigns.
Why we love The Body Shop:
• Recommendations for a shopper’s specific skin type
• Gorgeous, well-designed website with “recommendations for you”
• “Love Your Body” rewards club for exclusive perks — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 81
WEBSITE: 27/30 EMAIL: 26/30 MOBILE: 10/15 OTHER: 18/25
The trend-forward fashion and apparel chain overhauled its personalization strategy just in time for this year’s Index. Coming in at 54 last year, Urban’s entire experience improved with curated product suggestions, personalized abandoned cart emails and a mobile app with robust personalization and a thoughtful push notification cadence.
Why we love Urban Outfitters:
• Content-rich mobile app with an entire recommended section
• Clean, fun, on-brand website packed with recommendations and filtering tools
• “UO Rewards” connects all customer activities with liberal rewards — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 81
WEBSITE: 27/30 EMAIL: 22/30 MOBILE: 15/15 OTHER: 17/25
While Walmart has been busy acquiring popular digital-first brands like Bonobos, Jet.com and ModCloth, the big box store has also been investing deeply in personalization. Recently, Walmart reported a 40% increase in ecommerce sales, proving that Walmart’s efforts to modernize across channels is translating into real dollars (and a 12-point score increase on our Index.)
Why we love Walmart:
• Modern digital properties, with significant in-store features
• “Popular near you” and “Buy together and save” recommendations
• Seamlessly integrated mobile app with Walmart Pay, a biometric fast checkout SCORE: 78
WEBSITE: 28/30 EMAIL: 27/30 MOBILE: 15/15 OTHER: 8/25
eBay landed fifth on the list with the strongest retargeting campaign of previously viewed and abandoned items we’ve seen all year. In May 2018, eBay came up with a simple personalization strategy — outright asking customers what they want to see, and while it publicly spoke about big investments in personalization, eBay’s score held steady at 62 points year over year.
Why we love eBay:
• Richly personalized mobile app, including in-app messenger
• Emails contain highly relevant product and deal recommendations
• Daily Deals section that is personalized by categories buyers have searched — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 77
WEBSITE: 23/30 EMAIL: 25/30 MOBILE: 11/15 OTHER: 18/25
Valued at $3.6 billion, American Eagle Outfitters is well known for its Aerie campaign — showing real women of all shapes and sizes in affordable lingerie and swimwear. The brand targets its audience, predominantly 15-26 year-olds, with digital- forward marketing, like its release of personal- shopper bots on Facebook Messenger this year.
Why we love American Eagle:
• “Inspiration” content strikes the right balance of content and commerce
• Mobile app integrates across properties, even with its 1,000+ stores
• “Frequently bought together” and “More looks to love” recommendations — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 77
WEBSITE: 28/30 EMAIL: 20/30 MOBILE: 15/15 OTHER: 14/25
Net-a-Porter, valued at $1.8 billion, offers fashion products to high-end clientele with a stream of editorial content running through its app and website. Skin, art, style, makeup — no topic goes uncovered. The brand has an international appeal, with fashion consultants who are available 24/7 and speak 14 languages.
Why we love Net-a-Porter:
• Excellently curated content on “The Chic List”
• “Complete the look” and “How to wear it” recommendations
• Smart approach to cross-channel messaging with high-quality content — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 75
WEBSITE: 30/30 EMAIL: 30/30 MOBILE: 0/15 OTHER: 15/25
Conceived with personalization at its core, other retailers have just begun to catch up to JustFab’s revolutionary subscription-based model that takes 1:1 personalization with customers to the next level. The fast-growing fast fashion retailer is a clear leader in digital personalization with perfect scores in site and email.
Why we love JustFab:
• Customer onboarding featuring in-depth style quiz and suggestion engine
• The most robust email content personalization on the Index
• Smartest approach to triggered messaging that we evaluated — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 75
WEBSITE: 24/30 EMAIL: 23/30 MOBILE: 11/15 OTHER: 17/25
Nordstrom’s obsession with customer service began in 1901 when it opened as a shoe-retailer with signature white-glove service. Today it is one of the few department stores to transition to a truly modern CX. Its site provides personal shopper- esque recommendations and easy to navigate categories. Nordstrom’s much-loved mobile app even has a 4.9-star rating on the App Store.
Why we love Nordstrom:
• Best-in-class website UX with a standout variety of recommendations
• Fully-loaded app to book store appointments and easily navigate 1000’s of SKUs
• Renowned customer-first service that threads through digital properties — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 73
WEBSITE: 25/30 EMAIL: 24/30 MOBILE: 15/15 OTHER: 9/25
Adidas has recently been experiencing a resurgence with the comeback of its iconic Stan Smith tennis shoes. Add in a presence at the World Cup and super tech-forward new offerings and Adidas is ahead of the competition. The brand jumped to be tied for 10th place, after ranking 33rd last year in our Index.
Why we love Adidas:
• Beautifully designed and outfitted website, featuring helpful product content
• “Complete the look” and “you may also like” recommendations
• Solid mobile app with relevant push notifications that improve over time — IT’S A TIE! —
SCORE: 73
WEBSITE: 30/30 EMAIL: 30/30 MOBILE: 0/15 OTHER: 13/25
ShoeDazzle, the tech-savvy sister brand of JustFab, segments its customers with the same thoughtful onboarding, personalization quiz and curated product- suggestion strategy for VIP members. As shoppers engage, it builds a relationship based on browsing history, implicit and explicit interests, and more.
Why we love Shoedazzle:
• Like JustFab, ShoeDazzle’s emails are personalized to infinity and beyond
• “The Platform” blog seamlessly integrates products into expert articles
• Product recommendations personalized down to shoe type and style 2018 Retail Personalization Index
2018 2018 Website Email Mobile Other BRAND Rank Score Score Score Score Score
1 Sephora 92 30 30 15 17 2 The Body Shop 84 30 23 15 16 3 Walmart 81 27 22 15 17 3 Urban Outfitters 81 27 26 10 18 5 eBay 78 28 27 15 8 6 Net-a-Porter 77 28 20 15 14 6 American Eagle Oufitters 77 23 25 11 18 8 Nordstrom 75 24 23 11 17 8 JustFab 75 30 30 0 15 10 Adidas 73 25 24 15 9 10 ShoeDazzle 73 30 30 0 13 12 Nike 72 28 16 11 17 12 Frank and Oak 72 29 17 10 16 14 DSW 71 17 30 15 9 15 The RealReal 70 25 21 15 9 15 Fabletics 70 27 29 0 14 17 Shopbop 69 23 25 11 10 17 Bed Bath & Beyond 69 27 12 14 16 19 PacSun 68 19 22 15 12 19 Petco 68 21 22 8 17 21 Best Buy 66 28 12 11 15 22 REI 64 20 20 10 14 22 Office Depot 64 25 21 10 8 24 Vans 63 22 16 10 15 2018 2018 Website Email Mobile Other BRAND Rank Score Score Score Score Score
24 PetSmart 63 24 9 14 16 26 Neiman Marcus 62 26 17 10 9 26 Craftsy 62 28 21 5 8 26 Rent the Runway 62 21 17 11 13 29 L.L. Bean 61 27 16 10 8 29 Overstock.com 61 25 17 6 13 29 Abercrombie & Fitch 61 25 11 11 14 29 MATCHESFASHION.COM 61 28 14 12 7 33 Kohl's 60 22 16 11 11 33 Marks & Spencer 60 23 20 10 7 33 Lowe's 60 23 18 11 8 36 Carter's 59 24 10 10 15 36 Victoria's Secret 59 26 15 9 9 36 Michaels Stores 59 15 22 10 12 36 Thrive Market 59 26 14 10 9 36 Dollar Shave Club 59 22 21 8 8 36 Colorescience 59 18 28 0 13 42 Macy's 58 20 15 5 18 42 The Children's Place 58 22 15 5 16 42 Wayfair 58 21 17 10 10 42 Pottery Barn 58 26 21 0 11 46 Burton 56 24 22 0 10 46 Trunk Club 56 14 26 12 4 46 Brooks Brothers 56 24 8 8 16 46 Tory Burch 56 21 15 8 12 50 The North Face 55 25 8 10 12 50 Boxed 55 22 15 13 5 2018 2018 Website Email Mobile Other BRAND Rank Score Score Score Score Score
50 Amazon 55 29 0 12 14 50 Forever 21 55 22 17 11 5 50 Crate & Barrel 55 19 20 10 6 50 MADE.com 55 23 17 8 7 50 Burberry 55 19 12 12 12 57 ASOS 54 24 12 12 6 57 Ulta Beauty 54 23 12 8 11 57 Chairish 54 22 19 6 7 57 IKEA 54 23 16 7 8 57 Nine West 54 22 20 0 12 62 House of Fraser 53 21 14 11 7 62 Michael Kors 53 23 3 11 16 62 Famous Footwear 53 15 17 10 11 65 Reebok 52 21 20 0 11 65 RevZilla 52 24 16 0 12 65 Target 52 23 9 10 10 65 Jet.com 52 27 10 11 4 65 Sainsbury's 52 14 16 10 12 65 River Island 52 23 13 6 10 65 Guess 52 15 16 11 10 65 Stitch Fix 52 15 19 13 5 73 Newegg 51 23 13 8 7 73 Free People 51 24 7 11 9 73 ModCloth 51 26 10 6 9 73 Express 51 10 15 15 11 73 Jo-Ann Stores 51 21 9 5 16 73 Minted 51 15 27 0 9 2018 2018 Website Email Mobile Other BRAND Rank Score Score Score Score Score
79 Cabela's 50 26 0 8 16 79 Dick's Sporting Goods 50 21 4 11 14 79 Lululemon 50 22 10 6 12 82 Under Armour 49 21 11 11 6 82 Patagonia 49 26 17 0 6 82 Tradesy 49 23 7 15 4
82 Tommy Hilfiger 49 22 18 0 9 82 Betabrand 49 21 24 0 4 82 Vivino 49 19 15 11 4 82 Urban Decay 49 22 18 0 9 82 Amara 49 24 16 0 9 90 Alex and Ani 48 24 15 0 9 90 Backcountry 48 25 9 10 4 90 Modell's Sporting Goods 48 22 22 0 4 90 T.J. Maxx 48 18 17 6 7 90 Anthropologie 48 24 12 5 7 90 Birchbox 48 13 20 11 4 90 Rebecca Minkoff 48 26 13 0 9 90 Steve Madden 48 23 8 10 7 98 Barneys New York 47 24 1 11 11 98 H&M 47 23 8 8 8 98 Gap 47 15 14 10 8 98 Ralph Lauren 47 26 15 0 6 98 Zappos 47 24 6 10 7 98 Timberland 47 19 14 0 14 Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut With only 100 spots on the Index, not every brand made the list. Scores for the brands below ranged from just 7 up to 46 out of 100 possible points.
A D J O T Adore Me Debenhams J Crew Office Shoes Ted Baker Aeropostale Dermstore Jared One Kings Lane Teleflora Ann Summers Dr. Martens John Lewis OXO The Dune Group Ann Taylor Julep Beauty The Fragrance Shop AO.com E Just Eat P The Home Depot Aritzia eBags Pets at Home The Honest Company Art.com Eddie Bauer K Philip Lim The Republic of Tea Ashley Stewart Edible Arrangements Kate Spade PhotoBox Tiffany & Co. Asics Eileen Fisher Kay Jewelers PrettyLittleThing.com Toms Elie Tahari Puma Topshop Tumi B Eloquii L B&H Photo Estee Lauder L’Occitane Q Bandier Evans Cycles Lakeland Quiksilver U Bare Necessities Lands’ End QVC UGG Barkbox F Lane Bryant Uniqlo Benefit Cosmetics UntuckIt FiveFour Club Laura Ashley R Blue Nile Food52 Levi Strauss & Co. Boden RachelZoe.com Foot Locker LOFT Rag & Bone V Bonobos Fossil Group Loot Crate Very Boohoo.com Redbubble French Connection Lucky Brand Reformation Burlington Coat Factory From You Flowers BustedTees / TeePublic Restoration Hardware W Full Beauty M Rue La La Waitrose Mack Weldon Williams Sonoma C G Mamas & Papas Winc Calvin Klein S Gamestop Men’s Wearhouse Saks Fifth Avenue World Market Cambridge Satchel Getthelabel.com Missguided Carbon38 Shoes of Prey Gilt Groupe MM.LaFleur Skechers Z Carhartt Grove Monsoon Accessorize Cath Kidston Sole Society Zales Grubhub MZ Wallace Solstice Zulily Century 21 Gucci Chemist Direct Space.NK Chewy N Spring Clarks H Nars Staples Coach Halfords New Look Superdrug If your brand is listed here, fear not: Columbia Sportswear Hallmark.com New York & Company Sur La Table for Costco Hanes brands Next Plc Get in touch with the Sailthru team Country Outfitter Harrods NotOnTheHighStreet.com recommendations on how you can increase Custom Ink Harry’s Grooming your score. If your brand is not listed here, take Home Shopping Network our personalization assessment to generate your own score and see how you stack up. Customer Experience Insights and Best Practices A standout customer experience isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sailthru’s team of retail and ecommerce experts created these vertical-specific strategy guides to help you get better, faster, stronger
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