A study by Keynote Systems claimed that major retail Web sites were sluggish in the run-up to Christmas Day, showing continuing inconsistency and slow speeds.
The overall average response time for completing a transaction for the week Dec. 15-21 was 14.77 seconds, according to Keynote’s e-commerce transaction index. The success rate for completing a transaction was 94.88 percent, the San Mateo, CA, company said on Christmas Eve.
Data showed the best performing sites on the index had an average response time of 7.52 seconds and a success rate of 99.73 percent. The worst had an average response time of 27.81 seconds and a success rate of 86.47 percent.
A transaction is defined as a site’s availability to let a consumer click through a number of pages and buy.
Keynote said site performance from the day after Thanksgiving through Dec. 21 averaged 14 to 17 seconds for completing a transaction, with a success rate ranging from 93 percent to 96 percent.
Eleven retailers comprise the Keynote index: Amazon, Best Buy, Eddie Bauer, Costco, L.L. Bean, Office Depot, Office Max, Wal-Mart, JC Penney, Target and Sears, Roebuck.
