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NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--The top two spots in the 2012 Digital IQ Index: Specialty Retail were decisively captured by Macyas and Nordstrom, respectively. The study, authored by Scott Galloway, NYU Professor of Marketing, and a team of researchers at L2 Think Tank, benchmarks the digital competence of 76 global retail brands. This yearas study includes data and expertise from L2 partners [ SapientNitro ] and [ STELLAService ].

Download an excerpt from the report: [ http://www.l2thinktank.com/research/specialty-retail-2012/ ]

"Mobile and Amazon are reshaping retail. M-commerce is the fastest growing channel in the history of commerce. A retaileras ability to prosper will be inextricably linked to their agility on the platform. In addition, Amazon has turned its sights on specialty retailers, offering high-end brands and an experience that closes the gap with bricks and mortar. We believe the ranking offers insight into the firms that will over and under perform relative to peers." a"Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern, and Founder, L2

"The rise of the smart phone and mobility compound the challenges for retailers both in and out of stores. Digital experiences today need to do more than offer consumers the ability to transact. The best ones provide an experience -- one that connects the consumeras digital and physical worlds -- and offers relevance to their lifestyle.a a"Bill Kanarick, CMO, SapientNitro

Study Highlights:

• In Q2 2012, online retail spending reached $44.3 billion, up 17 percent YoY. E-commerce is expected to grow at a 13.3 percent CAGR, versus flat growth for bricks and mortar.
• For the first time, there is a significant relationship between the size of a retaileras business and their Digital IQ. The relationship strengthens when looking at the size of a retaileras online business.
• The Digital IQ of e-tailers fell below the average for the whole category. The top two spots in the 2012 Digital IQ Index: Specialty Retail were decisively captured by Macyas and Nordstrom, respectively.
• Amazon.com, boasting a peerless e-commerce experience and a 37 percent share of U.S. M-commerce, is THE force reshaping retail. As Amazon is reinvesting cheap capital in a supply chain to offer same day delivery, eroding one of the few remaining advantages of terrestrial retail.
• M-commerce is now the fastest growing commerce channel in history and the mobile device is influencing more on- and off- line purchases than TV, Print, and often the in-store salesperson. Everyone, including Facebook, has been caught flat-footed by the extraordinary rise of mobile. E-commerce is now M-commerce.

Watch the video highlighting Key Findings: [ http://www.l2thinktank.com/video/digital-iq-specialty-retail/ ]

About our Methodology

Each brand was scored against more than 675 data points across four dimensions: Site, Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Mobile. In this yearas report, to account for the e-commerce opportunity we modified our methodology; allocating greater weight to a brandas site and decreasing that of social media. In addition, for the first time, in partnership with STELLAService we measured the order and return fundamentals on retailersa e-commerce site.

About L2

L2 is a think tank for digital innovation. Founded by NYU Stern professor of marketing Scott Galloway, L2 helps prestige brands navigate the digital marketing landscape through events, research and advisory services. The L2 Digital IQ Index is the largest and most robust study of its kind. Rankings are published annually across industries including Fashion, Sportswear, Watches & Jewelry, Beauty, Travel, and Fragrance. For more information, visit: [ http://www.l2thinktank.com ]

SapientNitro

SapientNitro^SM, part of Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE), is an integrated marketing and technology services firm. We create and engineer highly relevant experiences that accelerate business growth and fuel brand advocacy for our clients. By combining multi-channel marketing, multi-channel commerce, and the technology that binds them, we influence customer behavior across the spectrum of content, communication and commerce channels, resulting in deeper, more meaningful relationships between customers and brands. SapientNitro services global leaders such as Chrysler, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Lufthansa, Target and Vodafone through our operations in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit [ www.sapientnitro.com ].

STELLAService is an independent company that rates the customer service performance of online businesses by becoming the customer themselves and objectively evaluating every part of the shopping experience. For more information, visit[ www.stellaservice.com ].