Wal-Mart could learn a thing or two about customer satisfaction from fellow retailers Nordstrom, Costco and Amazon.
According to the recently released American Customer Satisfaction Index retail report, while Washington-headquartered retailers Amazon, Nordstrom and Costco, received top marks from customers, Wal-Mart ranked dead last in all three of the retail categories (discount stores, supermarkets and health/personal care) that included the superstore giant.
Overall, consumers reported more pleasing shopping experiences at e-tailers versus brick-and-mortar retailers. On a scale of 0 to 100, the retail shopping experience earned 78.6 points, down 1.4 percentage points from 2013. The report explained:
Higher prices contribute to the downturn, with the strongest impact on retailers that sell nondiscretionary products. Rising cost of food and staples creates challenges for supermarkets and drug stores, while department stores and specialty retailers are less affected.
In contrast, e-tailer satisfaction increased 5.1 percentage points to 82 in 2014.
Internet retailers rebound from 2013 when winter storms and a surge in online shopping caused widespread delivery delays. As online sales reached record levels this holiday season, retailers and shippers were better prepared and there were far fewer incidents with delivery.
Here are the retail’s best and worst retail performers, based on customer satisfaction:
- Department and discount stores. Nordstrom earned 77 points out of 100 (no change from 2013). Wal-Mart 68 (-4 percent).
- Specialty retail stores. Costco 84 (no change). Gap 75 (-3 percent).
- Supermarkets. Wegmans and Trader Joe’s 85 (tie). Wal-Mart 71 (-1 percent).
- Health and personal care stores. Kroger 81. Wal-Mart 68.
- Internet retail. Amazon 86 (-2 percent). Overstock 77 (-3 percent).
Which retailer was your favorite (or least favorite) in 2014? Share your comments and customer experiences below or on our Facebook page.
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