John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and AO.com dominated proceedings at GlobalData’s 2017 Customer Satisfaction Awards, held on April 27 at The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London.
Maureen Hinton, global research director at GlobalData Retail, said: “The top three winners prove that consumers respond well to retailers that make customers the heart of their business. It also highlights the prominence of online in the way we shop in the UK now.”
This year AO.com continued its winning streak, securing the award for overall best retailer for the third consecutive year. The electricals retailer beat John Lewis and ASOS, who came second & third respectively
GlobalData Retail said: ‘AO.com has continued to invest in its customer service capability by launching its ‘track my order’ app, as well as increasing brand awareness through its summer 2016 next day delivery marketing campaign.
‘AO.com also diversified its proposition this year by entering the computers and tablets market, which will help the retailer appeal to a broader customer base.’
John Lewis and Marks & Spencer were the biggest winners, both receiving three awards. John Lewis scooped the best homewares retailer, best furniture retailer and best in-store experience prizes.
Marks & Spencer took home awards for best click & collect retailer, overall best online retailer (leaving heavyweight Amazon in second) and best food retailer.
Disappointingly for Waitrose, its 12-year run as best food retailer ended with the grocer dropping into third place, while both Marks & Spencer and discount retailer Aldi moved up one position to take first and second place respectively.
GlobalData Retail commented: ‘The absence of all of the big four retailers in the top three [places], marks the polarisation of the grocery sector, with consumers choosing to treat themselves occasionally at premium supermarkets, and trade down to discounters such as Aldi and Lidl for everyday value.’
The GlobalData Customer Satisfaction Awards measure how satisfied customers are with the retailers they use. It is the result of two consumer surveys: one based on an online survey of 10,000 consumers that examines shopping habits across all channels, and one based on an online survey of 10,000 consumers that looks specifically at online retail.
The overall retail survey covers 10 core retail sectors, as well as an overall and in-store satisfaction award, and measures satisfaction based on consumers’ recommendations.
In the online survey, which produces the Best Online, Best Fulfilment, Best Online Experience, and Best Click & Collect awards, shoppers were asked where they made their last online purchase and how satisfied they were with the purchase across six areas. The retailer with the highest average rating was considered to have the most satisfied customers.
Sponsors of the Awards included global textile group Indo Count Industries; Lithium, which delivers digital customer experiences; and Qmatic, which specializes in customer journey management solutions.
GlobalData plc is a market research company formed in early 2016 following the consolidation of a series of well-established data and insights solution providers including Verdict and Conlumino.
Neil Staddon of sponsor Indo Count Industries presents the Best Homewares Retailer Award to Laurence Mitchell of John Lewis
| Award | Winner | Second | Third |
| Best Retailer | AO.com | John Lewis | ASOS |
| Best Food Retailer | Marks & Spencer | Aldi | Waitrose |
| Best Clothing Retailer | ASOS | Zara | New Look |
| Best Footwear Retailer | ASOS | Nike | Adidas |
| Best Electricals Retailer | AO.com | John Lewis | Apple |
| Best Homewares Retailer (sponsored by Indo Count) | John Lewis | IKEA | Amazon |
| Best Furniture Retailer | John Lewis | IKEA | Next |
| Best Health & Beauty Retailer | Lush | Avon | Boots |
| Best DIY & Gardening Retailer | Screwfix | IKEA | Wilko |
| Best In-Store Experience | John Lewis | Apple | House of Fraser |
| Best Online Experience | Very.co.uk | Amazon | AO.com |
| Best Online Fulfilment Retailer | Amazon | Marks & Spencer | ASOS |
| Best Click & Collect Retailer | Marks & Spencer | John Lewis | Screwfix |
| Best Online Retailer | Marks & Spencer | Amazon | New Look |
