Canadian spending at grocery and discount stores over the last year has
increased despite the tough economic times the country is facing,
according to a recent customer retail satisfaction survey conducted by
Maritz Research Canada. While Canadians continue to shell out for the
basics, survey results indicate that they are spending less at home
improvement stores across the country.
Brand consideration determines what Canadians are spending at specific
retailers in each sector surveyed. Among the major discount stores,
Canadians are most likely to consider shopping at Wal-Mart and most
likely to consider shopping at Canadian Tire when choosing a home
improvement store.
The March 2009 online survey polled 872 Canadians, equal parts men and
women who had made a purchase at a discount, home improvement or
grocery store in the last six months. Discount and home improvement
store satisfaction data was collected nationally and grocery store
customer experience and satisfaction results were collected in Ontario.
"Although Canadians still appear to have their wallets open, they are
being very cautious and focusing on essential spending. We can see that
the most successful retailers clearly benefit from understanding the
factors that contribute to an overall positive shopping experience,"
said Robert Daniel, Managing Director Maritz Research Canada. "In this
economy those retailers that make the grade are the ones who are
profiting."
The survey delves in to what leads consumers to shop where they do and
what contributes to an overall satisfying shopping experience.
Surprisingly, the price of products ranked low on the list of important
factors. Overall top drivers of a positive retail shopping experience
within these sectors in Canada include the look and appearance of a
store (grocery only), the merchandise offered and the quality of
customer service received during the shopping experience.
"In the current economic climate, retailers have a unique opportunity
to secure customer loyalty throughout the remainder of the recession.
The shopping experience - from the overall look of the store to the
manner of staff - all influence customer retention both now and when
the recession is over," added Daniel.
Speedy Checkouts and the "Green" Customer
Two other notable findings from the survey: 38 per cent of consumers
said they were more or somewhat likely to shop at a retailer that
offered reusable shopping bags and that they would be likely (58 per
cent) to consider using self-checkout counters at retailers.
"We are seeing a trend towards the "greening" of the customer with more
shoppers bringing their reusable bags with them to stores, in
particular as some retailers are moving towards chargeable plastic
bags," said Daniel. "As more retailers offer reusable bags and the
self-checkout aisle option in their stores, consumers will come to
expect those services to be standard for all retailers."
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