Retail Industry Improves Customer Experience Ratings

Retailers are investing more time and money in improving the customer experience across all channels. Results from the 2013 Temkin Experience Ratings indicate that these efforts have been successful: the average “experience rating” for the retail industry has increased from 71% in 2012 to 74% in 2013.

Publix, slotted in the Grocery Chains category, received the highest customer experience ranking of all organizations (including Retailers and 18 other types of businesses), achieving a score of 84%. In the Retailers category, Amazon and Sam’s Club tied for the top spot, with a score of 81%. (Temkin ranked Grocery Chains separately from an overall Retailers category.)

The 2013 Temkin Experience Ratings were determined following a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers, in addition to an analysis of 246 companies across 19 business segments. Organizations were evaluated based on three areas of the customer experience:

Functional: How well do experiences meet customers’ needs?
Accessible: How easy is it for customers to achieve tasks?
Emotional: How do customers feel about their experiences and interactions?

In the Retailers category, the two companies that made the greatest improvements in customer experience from 2012 to 2013 were Office Depot, which increased by 11%, and Barnes & Noble, which experienced an 8% jump in score. Conversely, merchants that experienced a decrease in their rankings between 2012 and 2013 include JCPenney (a decrease of 6% to 68%) and Lowe’s (a decrease of 4% to 72%)., Although Sam’s Club received one of the highest rankings in 2013, the retailer’s score dropped 4% to 81%. that these efforts have been successful: the average “experience rating” for the retail industry has increased from 71% in 2012 to 74% in 2013.