• Paper Mart crowned most trusted ecommerce brand in the United States, beating fitness giant Gymshark to second place
• 52% of Americans say they are buying more things online and trust (51%) is the now the primary motivator for selecting who to shop with – topping other considerations like brand name (11%) and even price (45%)
• However, 61% of consumers have experienced problems buying from brands online in 2020 – such as late or non-delivery – and 42% say unreliable delivery has lessened their trust in online shopping since the Coronavirus crisis.
• In response, Brightpearl created its ‘Trusted 100 – The Sites to Shop 2020’, a definitive list of the best online retailers in the US based on customer experience feedback so consumers can buy with confidence
• More than a quarter (28) of companies in the Trusted 100 are California-based

With the majority of Americans – more than half – increasing their online spending since Covid-19, trust has risen to become the primary motivator for selecting who to shop with, according to a study of 2,000 consumers by Brightpearl.

Overwhelmingly, 51% of shoppers said that trust is more important than traditional buying considerations like brand name and price.

In response, Brightpearl, which provides digital operations solutions for some of the biggest retail brands in the US, developed its ‘Trusted 100 – The Sites to Shop 2020’, a definitive list of the best online retailers in the US based on customer experience feedback. The Trusted 100 launches today, with online packaging supplies company Paper Mart crowned the most trusted e-tailer in America, with fitness giant Gymshark in second place.

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The top 10 companies in the Brightpearl Trusted 100 are: 

1. Paper Mart – Bright Score: 99
2. GymShark – Bright Score: 94
3. Fringesport – Bright Score: 92
4. Lovepop – Bright Score: 92
5. Roka Sports – Bright Score: 92
6. Gazelle Sports – Bright Score: 92
7. GiantNerd – Bright Score: 91
8. B8ta – Bright Score: 91
9. Aces Flowers – 90
10. Gaia Herbs – 90

Paper Mart, perhaps a surprising winner of the inaugural Trusted 100, beat major brand names to the top spot, including Depop, Wayfair, DKNY and GymShark. The brand is almost 100-years-old, having been founded in 1921, and is still family-owned.

Brightpearl’s Trusted 100 provides a ‘Bright Score’ for ecommerce merchants out of 100 based on key criteria such as overall reviews, brand sentiment and identified performance areas, so consumers can see where they can shop confidently online.

The list features ecommerce brands from across the country with more than half the top ten companies working in the fitness/wellness industry, while more than a quarter (28) of all companies in the Trusted 100 are California based, followed by New York with 13 companies and Texas with nine.

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Despite the importance of trust to online shoppers, 61% of consumers have experienced problems buying from brands online this year, and 15% of shoppers have found online deliveries to be less reliable since the start of the pandemic, with the majority of issues related to hiccups with delivery and returns.

Of those polled, 42% say that problems with unreliable delivery has lessened their trust in online shopping since the Coronavirus crisis.

Using an algorithm to rate retailers by key performance areas including delivery, service, communication and returns, online shoppers can see where their favourite US brands and e-tailers rank and who they can trust to spend their digital dollar with.

“With so much choice online, it can make it hard for customers to know which brands they can really trust with their business”, said Derek O’Carroll, CEO, Brightpearl. “We know how frustrating it is for consumers who have experienced cancelled purchases, lack of delivery updates or items not arriving on time or at all.  That’s why the Trusted 100  serves as an essential shopping tool for consumers.

“Although there are some huge names on the list, we were pleasantly surprised to see Paper Mart take the top spot. We’ve always said that small and mid-sized retailers can compete with the biggest players, but success rests on their ability to connect with customers by offering outstanding end-to-end service – whether that’s offline, or increasingly, online.  We’re delighted that after nearly 100 years of trading a company like Paper Mart can prove that’s still very much the case.

“Our congratulations to every company that’s made it onto the 2020 list, and to Paper Mart, the winner of the Trusted 100.”

Allison McGuire, Vice President Marketing at Paper Mart added, “It’s truly an honor to be grouped with these e-tail giants. At Paper Mart, we are devoted to our community and we work hard to make sure that our customer is top priority.  It’s such a thrill to be at the top of Brightpearl’s Trusted 100 websites!”

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