Cyber Equivalent of Loehmann's Dressing Room

"Merchants reiterated that the passion emanating from consumers [who wrote reviews] was one of the biggest surprises; even extending to mundane products such as post-its from Staples," according to the report. And the vice president of e-commerce at Petco noted, "No matter how many reviews they receive, customers continue to add their voice. A product might already have a rating of 4.9/5, but someone will still write another positive review."

Merchants recognize, the report states, that reviews build confidence, "providing customers with invaluable decision-making power." Reviews, it continues, engender customer trust "and that trust translates into loyal, lifelong shoppers. They give time-starved shoppers another perspective by serving as their editor in deciding between products; helping them to narrow down choices and find just what they need."

I guess it's a little bit like the locker-room style of the Loehmann's dressing room where women feel free to tell each other, if asked, whether a garment looks good on them or not. Shoppers trust other shoppers.

Word to the wise retailer: Implement customer reviews.