Web-Store Experiences: Department Stores

Forrester applied its Cross-Channel Review methodology to the experiences at four department stores — JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's, and Sears. While Sears received the top overall score, none of the four companies received an overall passing grade. Despite uncovering many flaws, we also found a number of good practices, like Sears' online store inventory check and JC Penney's clear store directories. Firms that want to improve the coordination between their Web sites and their stores need to evaluate and explicitly design the experiences with a cross-functional team.