Pet Supplies Plus, Sam’s Club, Tractor Supply garner top satisfaction scores 

The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) Retail Holiday Preview, indicates customer satisfaction with the retail sector overall is 78.5 out of 100. Sam’s Club, Pet Supplies Plus and Tractor Supply were among the leaders in their categories.

“In a climate of economic uncertainty, consumers are laser-focused on finding the best deals, whether they’re shopping online or in-store,” said Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI. “The retailers that can deliver on both convenience and savings will be the ones that capture the most consumer dollars in the weeks ahead.”

Online sales are expected to surge between 7% and 9.5% this holiday season, but consumer satisfaction for the overall online category garnered a cumulative score of 80.

Chewy garnered the highest satisfaction rate for online specialty retailers at 85. Amazon was a close second with a score of 83. The survey reported customers were satisfied with Chewy’s mobile app, service, and product quality. The customers are loyal to the online brand. Likewise, Amazon’s score was higher due to its mobile app, website experience, and merchandise variety and availability.

Customer satisfaction with specialty retailers in the brick-and-mortar shopping experience had a score of 79. Pet Supplies Plus garnered the highest satisfaction score at 86, followed by 85 for Tractor Supply and 83 for beauty retailer Ulta.

Participants noted they liked the staff courtesy and speedy checkout at Pet Supplies Plus, store cleanliness and convenient in-store pickup for Tractor Supply and a “great shopper experience” at Ulta which does a good job integrating the digital and physical shopping trip.

General merchandise retailers are the only ones to see improving customer satisfaction, up 1% to an ACSI score of 78. The leaders in this segment are Sam’s Club with a score of 85, followed by TJX and Macy’s who each scored 82.

Sam’s Club garnered high satisfaction scores because of the skip-the-line Scan and Go technology and the walk-out technology that speeds up the shopping trip. Budget-conscious shoppers also say they appreciate the value and product quality at Sam’s Club. TJX is also known to offer deep discounts on sought-after brands which appeals to consumers of all ages. Macy’s is still popular with senior consumers who appreciate the customer service in stores.

Despite the high marks by Sam’s Club, Walmart garnered a satisfaction rating of 73, as did Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Staples garnered the lowest score in the report at 70.

Following are other retailer satisfaction scores above 80.
Ace Hardware: 83
Bath & Body Works: 82
Costco: 82
Hobby Lobby: 82
Best Buy: 81
JCPenney: 81
Sephora: 81