A screenshot of Netcraft's performance graphs showing the downtime at bestbuy.com
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Holiday shoppers have had trouble connecting to the online store of major electronics retailer Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com), during the few days leading up to Christmas, according to a report issued Wednesday by Internet research group Netcraft.
According to Netcraft, none of its performance monitors was able to access the site for a period of 24 hours, while some had been unable to reach the site for more than three days. Anecdotal reports from Twitter users have identified trouble accessing the site as far back as the 18th of December.
The press of activity on the Best Buy site may have to do with the company’s guarantee of Christmas delivery for orders placed before 11 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, December 21. Many users, says Netcraft, were unable to access the company’s site during the run-up to that deadline, however.
While the growing comfort with transacting online has meant a greater spike in online shopping traffic each year, the holiday season (and resultant online shopping) creating a sometimes-overwhelming flood of traffic for online retailers is an old story, and one that we’ve seen play out every year for the last decade.
From a technology standpoint, there really isn’t much excuse these days for being unprepared for a flood of traffic.
Netcraft says the BestBuy.com website is delivered over the Akamai content delivery network, and “has been using the AkamaiGHost web server since the 19th of December.”
BestBuy has reportedly issued statements saying its technicians are working on the problem “24/7.”
As of Thursday morning, the site seems to be operating normally.
The retailer is still offering gifts in time for Christmas, with online orders picked up in-store before 3 p.m. on December 24.
Netcraft has live performance graphs for the BestBuy website online.
About Liam Eagle
Liam Eagle has worked as a contributor to the Web Host Industry Review since its inception in 2000, and as editor since 2003. He has been editor of the WHIR's print magazine since its launch. His daily involvement in the gathering and reporting of Web hosting news and his regular interaction with Web hosting leaders gives him an uncommonly broad appreciation of the issues and tends facing the business. Through his WHIR blog, Liam spots Web hosting trends and offers opinions on the industry-wide impacts of major developments and the motivation behind big announcements. Follow him on Twitter @liameagle
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