Are you being loyal to the right stores for the right reasons? A recent Consumer Reports article in their May 2012 issue took a comprehensive in-depth look into consumer satisfaction with their local supermarkets, and many of the findings were surprising.
Some of the good old standards like Walmart and Pathmark were rated extremely low in almost every category (other than price, where they are notoriously tough to beat), while across the board Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Wegmans were found to have some of the highest overall customer approval of any chains throughout the country. Even large superstores like Costco scored extremely high, lagging only slightly in the “service category” – but in a huge megastore like that, it’s no big shock that customer service might be lacking a bit.
The article, fair and comprehensive, made it clear that with all of the options available to us nowadays as far as where we can go to shop, it’s in our best interest to explore multiple venues instead of blindly going to the same store week in and week out and spending far more than we should or having a less-than-enjoyable shopping experience.
Some of the most common complaints mentioned in the article have to do with inattentive or ultra-slow checkout clerks and mistakes made at the checkout counter…although often these mistakes can work in your favor if, say, the scanner overcharges you for an item: just complain to the clerk and oftentimes they will give you the item for free! Other customers complained about confusing store layouts, crummy selection, large crowds, and far and away the biggest gripe: not enough open checkout lanes.
All of this is not to say, however, that store loyalty is futile and should be discouraged. The store loyalty programs mentioned in the article are real bargains in many cases, and as the economy worsens, the deals only sweeten for the modern-day shopper! Besides email notifications from the store for bargains and coupons, loyalty cards can earn you points towards cash rebates and double-value on certain manufacturers’ coupons. Bottom line: loyalty can pay off – just make sure you’re exploring all the options!
The article was helpful in a myriad of other ways too, from comparing types of “shoppers” (the impulsive/non-savvy shopper spent almost double compared to the smart shopper or the shopper who bought store brands or in bulk from warehouses/clubs) to doling out helpful shopping tips both in and out of the store. An interesting read – pick up the issue if you haven’t already!
