IntroductionVerdict Research: In an intensely competitive retail market, keeping customers satisfied has never been more important.
Retailers need to understand how they satisfy their shoppers in order to enhance their appeal and increase customer loyalty.
Moreover, an insight into what drives customer satisfaction at competitors is essential to win customers from them.ScopeMeasures and ranks customer satisfaction for all significant retailers in the sector over six years (2002-2007) Includes ratings for eight performance metrics: price, range, quality, service, convenience, ambience, layout and facilities Covers eight retailer sectors: clothing, DIY, electricals, food & grocery, footwear, homewares, music & video and personal careHighlightsWaitrose tops the rankings in the 2007 Consumer Satisfaction Index, after one year in second place.
In gaining the top spot, Waitrose has narrowly overtaken its sister fascia and last year's winner, John Lewis, the department store operator.
Amazon follows in fourth place, up from sixth in 2006.
Amazon leads the rankings on facilities, no doubt testament to the success of its transactional website, while on convenience the retailer is the highest ranked pure play retailer.
On the key question of service, Amazon is ranked a highly respectable fifth.
Ninth placed clothing retailer Primark has climbed into the Top 10 for the first time in 2007.
Primark is becoming a key player in the UK clothing market.
Over the past five years it has moved from being a family value operator, mainly situated in secondary locations, to become a major operator on the high street.Reasons to PurchaseIdentify the preferences of your shoppers and how successful you are in delivering on them to help you retain your customers.
Understand the weaknesses of your competitors' customer proposition that can be exploited to your advantage.
Independently track how strategies and management policy are affecting or influencing customer satisfaction.