Customer Satisfaction at a High

Jennifer Polanz

The numbers are in and customers seem pretty highly satisfied by the retail experiences they’re having, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index for 2016. The Retail Trade sector overall gained nearly 5% for a score of 78.3 out of 100, an all-time high and an improvement after two years of declining satisfaction ratings.

The ACSI scores six retail industries: department and discount stores, gas stations, drug stores, specialty retail stores, supermarkets, and online retail. On the specialty retailer side, Costco took the top spot with a score of 83, while Barnes & Noble, L Brands (Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works) and Sam’s Club tied for the next spot with a score of 81. Home Depot was in the Top 10 with a score of 80.

On the department and discount store side, Dillard’s, JC Penney and Fred Meyer took the top three spots, respectively. It’s interesting to note that JC Penney is in the Top 3 and yet announced in February that it was closing up to 140 stores this year.

You can take a look at the full report for free at www.theacsi.org. GP