When speed becomes brand perception
In the digital economy, performance is no longer an IT issue – it is a brand strategy.
According to the new “2025 Retail Website Performance Benchmark Report” by Catchpoint (WebPageTest.com), the difference between a page that loads in two seconds and one that takes 10 seconds can make the difference between millions in sales per year.
The study analyzed the 50 largest retail brands in the world – including Apple, Amazon, IKEA and Aldi – and shows: The fastest are not the greatest. Those who consistently invest in loading time and user experience gain customer loyalty, conversions and trust.
Aldi beats Amazon and Walmart
The central result of the study is remarkable:
Aldi achieves the best overall digital impression with an Experience Score of 100.
Action follows in 2nd place, IKEA in 3rd place.
Globally known giants such as Amazon (90) and Walmart (68) are well behind.
This means that performance is the great equalizer.
Companies of all sizes can gain market share through fast, seamless digital experiences – regardless of budget or brand awareness.
Customer experiences are not the same everywhere - and that costs sales
The study shows that even identical websites are perceived completely differently around the world.
example: H&M loads in 2 seconds in Helsinki, but in almost 30 seconds in Tokyo – a difference that loses customers at the checkout.
The geographical differences are also significant:
Users in Asia and Africa wait up to three times longer than in Europe or North America.
Even in large cities with stable networks, the loading time varies by several seconds depending on the provider.
The brand that is fast in Berlin can be frustrating in Bangkok. Global consistency in the digital experience is therefore a real competitive advantage.
Availability does not equal experience
Another key finding: 91% of retailers had almost perfect availability – but a quarter of them still delivered a poor user experience.
Example: Walmart has a technical availability of 99.8%, but still has a low experience score of 68.
The reason for this is the so-called “monitoring blind spot”: many companies only measure whether systems are running, not how the website actually feels for the user.
The result: customers bounce due to long loading times.
Speed pays off - in the truest sense of the word
The study estimates that for large retailers with billions in sales, just one second of faster loading time can increase sales by 3 – 10 %. This means that a company with €10 billion in online sales is potentially giving away up to €1 billion a year – simply because pages load too slowly.
These figures make it clear that performance is not an IT project, but a business lever with a direct ROI.
What the top performers have in common
Companies like Aldi, IKEA and Action are characterized by three things:
You think performance holistically
It’s not just about servers or tools, but about customer experience across all devices and regions.You continuously optimize
Performance is not a one-off project, but part of the product and marketing strategy.You measure from the customer’s perspective
Instead of just observing technical key figures, we measure how the real user flow feels – regional, mobile, international.
The result: faster pages, lower bounce rates, higher conversion rates.
Fields of action for decision-makers - where investments are worthwhile
There are clear priorities for decision-makers:
Holistic performance measurement:
Measure not just uptime or loading times, but customer experiences – worldwide.
→ “Experience monitoring” instead of pure “system monitoring”.Strategic infrastructure decisions:
Evaluate content delivery networks (CDNs) and DNS providers according to real performance.Frontend and mobile optimization:
Visible speed shapes perception – especially on smartphones.Include performance in the company KPIs:
Anchor loading time and stability as quality indicators in marketing, product and IT.
Conclusion - speed is the new brand currency
The “Retail Website Performance Benchmark 2025” shows impressively that digital excellence can be planned – and it pays off.
Brands that understand performance as a strategic success factor not only increase sales, but also brand confidence and competitive strength. The fastest win – not the biggest.
Your next step: Analysis & advice from a web performance expert
As a Senior Web Performance Consultant, I support companies in closing precisely this gap:
from a stable system to a tangible, fast brand.
My approach:
Brief, data-based status analysis (audit)
Prioritized recommendations for action for measurable business effects
Individual strategy for performance, experience and conversion
Result:
A resilient concept that turns performance into measurable sales. Arrange a non-binding initial consultation with me now.
