NEW YORK — Organization and storage retailer The Container Store, Coppell, TX, was rated as one of four bottom performers in online usability, including retailers IKEA, Sears and Target, in a study gauging consumer online buying behaviors. Study participants were asked to shop for closet organizing systems measuring at least 6-feet wide and less than $500.

Change Sciences Group, the research organization behind the study, noted that although The Container Store had a large selection of organization products, consumers had difficulty trying to finding items that were configurable and specific to their needs. Consumers had similar problems with IKEA products.

"The data is powerful because it reflects a common challenge people face when shopping online, namely finding a specific item for a specific need,” said Pamela Pavliscak, Change Science Group founding partner. “There's no 'one size fits all solution' -- you need something that works within specific constraints and you don't have a lot of time. You want a microwave oven that will fit under your cabinets, or in this case, a closet organization system that's a certain size under a certain price. Finding and purchasing products for the home is nuanced and can lead to a lot of frustration for customers if they can't easily find what they need."

The top three performing sites in the study were Amazon, Overstock and Walmart with Amazon receiving the highest engagement rating and highest likelihood to convert.

A total of nine sites were included in the Change Sciences Group research project: Amazon, The Container store, Home Depot, IKEA, Lowes, Overstock, Sears, Target and Walmart.