Friday, March 8, 2013

Survey crowns Nordstrom as most-favored retail chain


  • Survey crowns Nordstrom as most-favored retail chain

    Nordstrom is the nation's favorite fashion retail chain, according to an annual consumer study conducted by Market Force Information. The upscale department store edged out Kohl's, which had ranked first in the three previous studies. This year, Kohl's moved to the No. 2 spot overall, followed by Macy's, Dillard's and JC Penney.
The study of more than 4,000 consumers was designed to uncover which fashion retail chains they like most, as well as why they prefer one to another. It also ranked the top retailers in five different fashion sub-categories, where Nordstrom emerged as the favorite for business wear and evening wear, Kohl's for casual wear and children's clothes, and Dick's Sporting Goods for sports apparel.
"Nordstrom has cultivated a distinctive brand over the past century, and while it's known for its selection of designer clothing, its real claim to fame is quality customer service," said Janet Eden-Harris, chief marketing officer for Market Force. "We weren't hugely surprised to see Nordstrom and Kohl's rank one and two in this year's study, since both brands share a customer-centric approach that breeds loyalty, recommendations and customer delight."
Market Force also looked at how the favorite fashion retailers compared in various attributes to determine if they set apart the leaders from the rest. Crowd-favorite Nordstrom led in six of the eight attributes, from great service to merchandise selection. Banana Republic ranked second in the influential customer service category, followed by American Eagle Outfitters, a brand that performed consistently well across the board. Off-price retailers Ross, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls earned the highest marks for their value, while Kohl's was lauded for its loyalty program.
"While all of these attributes combined provide a structure for an excellent customer experience, we discovered that a liberal return policy is the attribute that matters most to consumers," said Eden-Harris. "Retailers that recognize customer service doesn't end once a purchase is made have the ability to build a longstanding, trusting relationship with their customers."

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