Dive Brief:
- The 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings named Publix Super Markets and H-E-B as delivering the best customer experience in the grocery space, according to Chain Store Age.
- Publix scored 84% in the survey, leading not only the supermarket industry, but totaling the best figure of all 331 companies across 20 different industries. H-E-B registered a score of 82%, the second highest rating for both grocery and all industries.
- Overall, the supermarket industry averaged a 78% rating, finishing in first place out of all 20 industries surveyed.
Dive Insight:
Historically, supermarkets have fared very well on the Temkin Experience Ratings, with the segment representing the highest-scoring industry since it was added to the Ratings in 2012.
According to the study, all the grocery chains considered received at least a “good” rating, and Publix and H-E-B were rated on top. Food Lion, Wegmans, Kroger, Whole Foods and Winn-Dixie also earned favorable scores.
This should come as good news to those worried that consumers will leave brick-and-mortar stores for online grocery experiences. Many analysts have warned of this shift, with a recent NPD Group report revealing that satisfaction is very high among online shoppers — 67% of shoppers are completely satisfied with their overall shopping experience.
However, studies also show that people prefer the in-store shopping experience. In order to prevent shoppers — especially millennials — from taking their wallets to e-tailers, retailers should expand digital offerings and install tech to cut checkout line wait times. Grocers should also push the grocery "experience" that shoppers can't find online by emphasizing locally grown products and in-store amenities like food stations, tastings, cooking demonstrations and more.