The
economy may be buzzing along, and Americans may be spending more these days, but they’re not happy: The latest annual American Customer Satisfaction Index is in, and it shows that overall
satisfaction in retail took a hit, the first drop in four years. While individual brands like Nordstrom, Amazon, Trader Joe’s and Lowe’s rose to the top, all retail categories either
weakened or came in flat. And although total Internet scores improved overall, many once-strong brands in that sector also took a hit.
Here’s how each category shaped up:
*Department and discount stores Nordstrom rose 4% to 86 out of a possible 100, well above the category average of 77. Dillard’s remained in the No. 2 spot, 81, followed by
Target and Kohl’s, both at 80, and Macy’s with a 79. And Walmart sank to the bottom with a 68, its lowest level since 2007.
*Specialty retailers Costco
leads with a score of 84, followed by L Brands, which owns Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works.
*Home improvement chains Lowe’s achieved a score of
81, followed by Menards (78). Stung by its credit card security breach, Home Depot fell to near the category’s bottom at 76.
*SupermarketsRising foods
costs meant shoppers were less than thrilled with their supermarket experiences, reducing the categories satisfaction score to 76. Trader Joe’s and Wegmans tied for the lead, with an 85, while
Publix sank 5% to 82, in a tie with H-E-B.Whole Foods, Target’s grocery division, and Aldi all scored an 81. Walmart’s grocery department fell to 71, the lowest in the
sector.
*WebsitesCustomer satisfaction with Internet retailers climbed 5.1% to 82, but the majority of pure-play Internet companies actually dropped. Amazon slipped
2% to 86, but still remains in first place, followed by Newegg and Netflix, both 81.