Press Release |
Email this press release to a friend or collegue
|
Press Releases | Fact Sheets | Media Contacts | Facts and Figures
 |
Contact:
John Tews
(248) 312-4119 |
Syvetril Perryman
(805) 418-8103 |
|
| |
J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Ace Hardware Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Retailers For a Third Consecutive Year
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 28 May 2009 — For a third consecutive year, Ace Hardware ranks highest in satisfying home improvement retail store customers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Home Improvement Retail Store StudySM released today.
The study, now in its third year, measures customer satisfaction with home improvement retail stores, based on performance in five factors: merchandise; price; sales staff; sales/promotions; and store facility.
Ace Hardware achieves a score of 792 on a 1,000-point scale and performs particularly well in the sales staff and store facility factors. Lowe’s (779) and Menards (774) follow Ace Hardware in the rankings. Lowe’s performs particularly well in merchandise, while Menards performs well in the sales/promotions and price factors.
The study finds that approximately one-half of shoppers (51%) asked the sales staff for assistance during their most recent visit to a home improvement retail store—down from 61 percent in 2008. The two most common reasons customers ask for assistance are for help locating a product or for additional information about a product.
The study also finds that the importance of the store facility factor has increased considerably from 2008, while the importance of the price and sales/promotions factors has decreased. Although the sales staff factor decreased in importance, it still remains as one of the most influential factors impacting customer satisfaction.
“Many home improvement store chains have had to reduce the size of their sales staff to remain competitive in this tough economy, so those chains that have a sufficient, well-trained and helpful sales staff have a competitive advantage,” said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “When shoppers have fewer resources to turn to for assistance, they are likely to rely more on well-organized store layouts and clear signage to find the products they’re searching for, which presents another opportunity for improvement.”
Overall spending on home improvement products is down this year. Additionally, customers spend approximately 76 percent of their total home improvement budget at their primary home improvement retailer. However, customers who say they are “delighted” with their primary retailer’s sales staff spend an additional 4 percent of their budget at that same retailer.
“Although customers are spending less, on average, there is a financial benefit to truly delighting them since the most highly satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal to their primary home improvement retail store,” said Haines. “Every retailer may compete on price to some degree. However, those retailers that successfully combine price competitiveness with a consistently helpful and satisfying shopping experience can create a notable advantage.”
The study also finds the following key patterns:- More than one-fourth (29%) of customers report shopping at their primary home improvement retailer more than once per month. Overall, 8 percent of customers report shopping at their primary home improvement retailer once per week.
- More than 40 percent of customers report experiencing a service issue during their last store visit. The most frequently mentioned problems include: floor staff not available; floor staff not knowledgeable; and desired merchandise out of stock.
The 2009 Home Improvement Retail Store Study is based on responses from 8,186 consumers who purchased a home improvement product or service within the previous 12 months from a store that sells home improvement products. Consumers were asked to evaluate their primary home improvement retailer. The study was fielded in March and April 2009.
For more information, read an article or view home improvement retail store ratings at JDPower.com.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
Media Relations Contacts:
|
John Tews
J.D. Power and Associates
Director, Media Relations
5435 Corporate Drive, Suite 300
Troy
, MI
48098
USA
(248) 312-4119
john.tews@jdpa.com
|
Syvetril Perryman
J.D. Power and Associates
Specialist, Media Relations
2625 Townsgate Road, Suite 100
Westlake Village
, CA
91361
USA
(805) 418-8103
syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com
|
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate # # #
|
What does J.D. Power and Associates do?J.D. Power and Associates' research, consulting, and performance improvement services are used by a variety of industries to improve product quality and customer satisfaction. The firm's research is based solely on responses from millions of consumers and business customers worldwide. Product and service rankings that result from this research reflect the opinions of consumers and business customers-not the opinion of J.D. Power and Associates. Rankings are derived from nationally syndicated studies that serve as industry benchmarks for measuring and tracking quality and customer satisfaction. J.D. Power and Associates conducts the research, publicly announces the results, and then offers analysis based on consumer feedback to product and service providers to help them improve their businesses.
|