Yves Rocher and Penningtons garnered top honors in the WOW Retail Monitor Customer Experience Index for Ontario as determined by Leger, The Research Intelligence Group.
The Customer Experience Index is based on a store’s performance on the 16 dimensions related to the in-store experience, taking into account the importance of each dimension in the store’s line of business.
Dimitra Maniatis, Vice President, Consumer Insights, Leger told Loyalty360 that the top 15 performers in its top 100 shared the following attributes that enhanced their respective customer experience scores:
Quality and variety of the products they offer
The ambiance of the store
The three key staff competencies: availability, knowledge and courtesy
They also performed well in efficiency at checkout
“These companies provide a unique shopping experience to their customers and perform well on the ‘above and beyond’ attributes such as making their customers feel a sense of belonging,” Maniatis explained.
An assessment of the customer’s shopping experience was performed for 113 Ontario retailers through an online survey. More than 7,500 Ontarians participated in the study. Each retailer was assessed by 400 recent customers (aged 15 or older). Data collection occurred between Oct. 16, 2013, and Nov. 7, 2013.
Data was weighted by store according to gender, age, and which region recent customers were from.
Here are the Top 15 overall brands from the Customer Experience Index:
Yves Rocher, Penningtons, Bath & Body Works, DAVID’s TEA, Sephora, Addition-Elle, The Body Shop, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Chapters Indigo, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Reitmans, EB Games, La Senza, Apple Store, and Bonnie Togs.
Here are the top performing brands (and respective scores) by category:
Beauty
Yves Rocher (99.0)
Bath & Body Works (93.1)
Sephora (87.7)
The Body Shop (86.5)
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics (84.1)
MAC Cosmetics (84.1)
Crabtree & Evelyn (83.1)
Fruits & Passion (83.3)
Specialty Stores
David’s TEA (86.5)
LCBO (72.5)
Birks (69.8)
The Beer Store (66.7)
Laura Secord (66.4)
Shoe Stores
Payless ShoeSource (67.1)
Spring (66.9)
Nine West Shoes (66.4)
Aldo Shoes (58.6)
Globo (55.8)
Browns Shoes (54.8)
Towns Shoes (54.1)
Electronics
Apple Store (77.2)
Best Buy (72.4)
Staples (67.4)
Future Shop (67.4)
The Source (56.7)
Department/Big Box Stores
Holt/Renfrew (71.1)
Costco (66.9)
The Bay (57.9)
Walmart (57.6)
Winners (56.4)
Sears (54.3)
Target (50.6)
Financial Institutions
TD Bank (57.8)
RBC (65.6)
Scotiabank (65.1)
BMO (61.9)
CIBC (57.6)
Home Décor
Williams-Sonoma (74.8)
Kitchen Stuff Plus (70.5)
Crate & Barrel (64.7)
IKEA (60.5)
Bed, Bath & Beyond (60.1)
Pier 1 Imports (59.9)
Sporting Goods
Mountain Equipment Co-op (79.3)
Golf Town (77.1)
The Running Room (74.0)
Foot Locker (61.5)
Supermarkets
Whole Foods (73.0)
Longo’s (72.1)
Zehrs (66.5)
Real Canadian Superstore (RCSS-65.8)
Sobey’s (65.0)
Apparel
Penningtons (93.1)
Addition-Elle (84.1)
Reitmans (78.1)
Laura/Petites/Plus (72.0)
Lulemon Athletica (70.1)
Mark’s Work Wearhouse (70.1)
Maniatis noted that:
Five of the top 15 are in the Beauty category. “These organizations offer a sensory experience to their customers and know their customers really well,” she said.
Three of the top 15 are Reitmans’ brands (Penningtons, Addition-Elle, and Reitmans). “All three of these brands cater to a specific clientele and know that customer very well,” she added.