Supermarket Brand LoyaltySupermarkets continue to generate high satisfaction among their shoppers, registering an average of 4.44 on a five-point scale, according to the 2015 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study released by The Retail Feedback Group. Foremost in that customer loyalty/customer engagement/customer satisfaction equation is the performance of supermarket associates.

According to the study, shoppers who felt like a welcome guest (4.70), believed that store employees had food expertise (4.66), or encountered exceptional service (4.66) handed out the highest overall trip satisfaction scores. All three show the significant impact that store associates can have on shopper satisfaction.

Supermarkets performed well in some of key areas, yet there remains room for improvement in others.

Quality/Cleanliness: Supermarket shoppers rated quality/freshness of the food and groceries (4.47) followed by cleanliness of the store (4.44) as the two highest-rated core experience factors.

Service: While shoppers gave high marks to the friendliness and attitude of the store personnel (4.43) and the speed and efficiency of checkout (4.41), helpfulness and knowledge of personnel (4.35) realized a lower rating and availability of personnel to provide assistance if needed (4.26) received the lowest rating across all core experience factors.

Value: The value for the money spent on this visit received the second lowest rating at 4.27.

Variety: A mid-tier core experience factor was variety and selection of products, at 4.38.

Nearly 70% of shoppers indicated that a dirty store is a huge turnoff. Two-thirds are highly irritated by unsanitary carts and baskets. At 64%, discourteous employees follow in third place. Second-tier irritants are inaccurate price scans (44%) and an unpleasant odor in the seafood department (44%).

Digital technology is very popular for consumers interacting with their primary supermarkets, the study shows.

The most common way is to check the digital circular (43%), followed by building online grocery lists (36%) and researching special online promotions (34%). Online services such as ordering groceries, reading blogs, and getting nutritional advice receive little uptake across the entire population, but are distinctly more popular among Millennials, as are building digital grocery lists and researching special online promotions.Supermarket Shoppers

Supermarket shoppers continue to be highly engaged with social media. While the total share using one or more social media vehicles with at least some regularity remained flat at 83%, shoppers increased their usage across vehicles over the past year: From an average of 2.9 different platforms in 2014 to 3.3 in 2015.

“Shoppers are changing the ways in which they interact with the supermarket pre-trip to increasingly include technology and social media,” Brian Numainville, RFG Principal, said. “This is especially true for the millennial shopper. As this millennial shopper base grows in numbers, older generations become more comfortable with technology, and retailers improve and amplify their digital offerings, the adoption speed of using technology and social media when interacting with supermarkets will only accelerate.”

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