Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of a need or a want. So what satisfies shoppers? To find out, Reveries.com reached out to its readers to understand how satisfying the shopping experience is across 14 categories spanning almost all imaginable retail channels.
In reviewing their responses, similar themes emerged across categories and channels. Shopping is most satisfying when the shopping experience delivers against what MVI calls the new ROI, or return on the shopper’s involvement. To maximize this ROI, shoppers are looking for:
Simplicity and efficiency in navigation to find what they want quickly, with ease. Retailers can achieve this through an uncluttered, engaging environment that is neat and clean with logical, helpful adjacencies and good visual cues that allow for discovery.
Quality and variety in merchandise with an emphasis on a high-quality, imaginative, well-stocked selection to provide the shopper with choices without being overwhelmed. Best-in-class retailers add information that educates and entertains.
Transparency and honesty in communication, especially as it relates to pricing. Shoppers are looking for holistic solutions versus individual product selling. The approach should combine clear pricing with the ability to compare and contrast alternatives.
Exceptional customer service, delivered through an available, responsive, engaged and experienced staff. The goal is to provide the appropriate level of information by listening and responding to a shopper’s problem or needs.
These principles transcend brick-and-mortar to include the online shopping experience, as well. Retailers are now being held accountable to make their in-store shopping experience comparable with the online experience.
More and more shoppers are leveraging online resources along the path-to-purchase to provide information, navigation and customer service. A recent study by Harvard Business Review and Corporate Executive Board concludes that delivering top-notch self-service is the key to building customer loyalty. In the retail environment, shoppers often look for self-service kiosks and digital solutions because they provide both convenience and an element of control.
A survey by Accenture confirmed that a majority of shoppers prefer to get the simple information they need on product availability and pricing from their smartphone rather than talk to a store employee. For example, one of the most common questions asked in-store is, “Where can I find the ...” In response to this question, more and more retailers are looking for digital and mobile in-store navigation solutions.
Does that mean that the role of the sales associate is dying? It’s not dying, but it is evolving. A survey by the National Retail Federation found that younger adults, 18-24, are twice as likely as other adults to say that they choose a store based on service. Shoppers crave a two-way dialogue that helps them get what they want. They need sales associates to listen, and provide the appropriate level of support from simple guidance to “expert” opinion based on their needs. Irrespective of category or channel, our survey respondents consistently echoed this desire.
When we compare and contrast shopper satisfaction across categories, we see the highest shopper satisfaction in categories (books, wine and spirits, stationery, beauty, florists) that require a very personal shopping experience that both engages and entertains along the path-to-purchase. In many of these categories, shoppers feel a strong sense of connection, community and loyalty with best-in-class retailers.
Books were the category that the most shoppers found the most satisfying. Shoppers found their journey along the entire path-to-purchase pleasurable. They enjoy browsing, exploring and seeking recommendations, both online and in-store. They enjoy how retailers have created welcoming in-store environments and staffed them with expert associates. In this category, high marks are given to both independents and chains (i.e., Barnes & Noble) and online retailers (i.e., Amazon).
Coming in a close second in satisfaction to books is wine and spirits. As with books, shoppers enjoy the shopping experience when it includes interactions with an educated, knowledgeable staff that takes the time to understand their needs and make recommendations. They relish the opportunity to interact with the product through food pairing and tastings.
Respondents identified best-in-class local, chain and online merchants who consistently delivered against the shoppers’ needs. Given the complex and overwhelming nature of this category, shopper satisfaction with a retail destination declines rapidly when they don’t have the desired level of support or service.
While fewer respondents shopped for stationery, the majority found it satisfying in retail locations like Papyrus, which offers great quality and selection. It was clear that a portion of the stationery business had migrated out of stores to online retailers like Tiny Prints and moo.com, which offer shoppers selection, quality and the ability to create their own personal design in an easy-to-use format.
In the next grouping of categories (pet care, grocery, hardware and shoes), shoppers are mostly satisfied with their experience. In these categories, needs were more functional, but shoppers were clear that they would go the extra mile or click for a great selection (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Wegman’s); incredible service (Zappos, Publix, Ace Hardware); and a great experience — like shopping with your pet!
For the next grouping of categories (toys, pharmacy, home entertainment and banks), shopper sentiment is split. In all of these categories, shopper involvement levels increase, as do their need for well-informed staff, ability to interact with products, or a professional, such as a pharmacist. They are looking for a simplified shopping experience focused on a core business. Dissatisfied shoppers point to unknowledgeable sales people who focus on selling products versus providing solutions, cluttered environments with too many unrelated SKUs and poorly thought through customer-service initiatives.
And then there was one category where only one-third of shoppers left satisfied: not surprisingly, cars. This category has the most room for improvement throughout the entire path-to-purchase. According to respondents, opportunities abound — from the front-line sales teams taking a lower-pressure, more customer-centric approach to complete transparency in pricing. Interestingly, many shoppers indicated dramatic improvement on the service side of the car business, while some shoppers have found online sales a welcome addition to the process. Ultimately, all sales eventually end up with a trip the dealership, where the interaction defines the experience, for better or worse. As in every category, there were shoppers who identified a handful of manufacturers and dealerships that put the shoppers’ needs first.
We also asked our shoppers to really put their needs first and reinvent one of their favorite brands as retail experience. We found some winners such as: Sam Adam’s Americana restaurants with a seasonal, local menu and an authentic upscale design; Paul Newman pop-up stores selling product and pop culture; Monster Milk Personal Training Centers; Crest Dental Whitening Centers; Duncan Hines Cupcake and Dessert Shops; Hellman’s Sandwich Shops; Barilla Italian Restaurants; Purina Pet Stores, Johnny Walker Men’s Stores; La Mer Spas; Whole Food Culinary Institute; and a personal favorite — the FedEx Limo Service.
Other respondents saw the opportunity to pair categories to increase shopper satisfaction, such as stores where you could buy wine and food pairings or better yet — wine and shoes. What if instead of the Good Humor truck coming through your neighborhood at twilight in the summer it was the Barnes & Noble bookmobile featuring the latest kids’ bedtime stories? Hopefully that solution would satisfy both the shopper and the end consumer.
This exercise confirms that shoppers are looking for retailers to understand their needs and desires through engaging customer service. They want a simple, straightforward approach to identifying and acquiring a quality product that meets their personal needs. Now that’s satisfying! 
