These Are America’s Favorite Stores, According to a Satisfaction Survey

published Mar 1, 2017
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Rawpixel.com)

Shopping can be fun or it can be a chore. Either way, leaving a happy customer is important. This new survey ranks retailers on a scale of 0 to 100 in terms of consumer satisfaction. Check out which stores made the grade.

The American Consumer Satisfaction Index rates consumers’ satisfaction across six retail industries, from supermarkets to internet retailers to department stores. Overall, confidence in the retail sector was up 4.7% in 2016 to a score of 78.3 (out of 100), which is an all-time high. But which stores ranked the best of the best?

Department & Discount Stores

Dillard’s ranks number one in its category with an ACSI score of 83, a new record high for the company. In second place, JCPenney gains 11% to 82 and makes the biggest improvement. “The reintroduction of appliances, new same-day pickup for online orders, and an overhaul of the JCPenney website and app have been successful,” the ACSI report states. Though, it is noted that the retailer does plan to close more stores this year.

Nordstrom, on the other hand, is the only department store to slip in confidence in 2016, dropping 2% to a score of 80. Dollar Tree and Belk also scored 80, with Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Target coming in at 79. Although Walmart posted a 9% growth in satisfaction over 2015 (the report sites “holiday helpers” and same day pickup as boosters), it still came in near the bottom at 72.

Specialty Stores

Costco tops this category with a score of 83, coming in over Sam’s Club (81) and BJ’s Wholesale Club (76). Also tied at 81 are Barnes & Noble and L Brands (Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works).

For the home improvement category, Home Depot tops Lowe’s, 80 to 79. In clothing and home, TJX (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods) also beats Bed Bath & Beyond, Burlington and Gap by a point, 80 to 79.

Supermarkets

Everybody loves Trader Joes. The grocery store topped the category with a score of 86. Publix nabs the second spot with 84, and ALDI, H-E-B, and Wegmans at 83 (though Wegmans slipped 3 points from 2015). Whole Foods is most improved with an 11% jump to 81.

Not surprisingly, the biggest factor in supermarket satisfaction reported was convenient location and hours.

Internet Retail

It’s no surprise that Amazon takes the top spot with a score of 86, as it’s hard to compete with the retail giant. Tech site New Egg snags second place with 83, and eBay (81), Netflix (79), and Overstock (79) are all up over 2015.

You can check out ACSI’s full report on their site.