John Lewis has been voted the UK's favourite retailer this year beating IKEA and Amazon to take the top spot in Verdict Research's Consumer Satisfaction Index 2009. John Lewis has come either come first or second in the survey ever since it began back in 2000 (six times first place, four times second place).
John Lewis also came first in the homewares, electricals and clothing sectors in the poll of more than 6,000 consumers, while Waitrose, down from second to seventh place overall, was top shop for food and grocery, beating Aldi (second place) and Asda (third). Andy Street, Managing Director, John Lewis, says: 'Partners will be heartened that John Lewis continues to be the UK's favourite retailer. In a challenging year they have put in a huge amount of work to deliver the service that our customers expect. As the market remains tough we will be loyal to our principles while focusing on providing customers with inspiring products, great value and differentiated service'.
The survey quizzed customers about where they shopped most frequently and asked them to rate those stores in terms of range, price, convenience, quality, service, ambience, facilities and layout. Retailers were given a score for each of these, as well as an overall consumer satisfaction rating.
According to Verdict's Consulting Director, Neil Saunders, the results show that shoppers are more focused on price than they used be. However, John Lewis's price promise, together with its 'exceptional' customer service and 'real authority across all of the sectors it trades in', means it is more highly regarded than any of its competitors, winning by a significant margin ahead of IKEA and achieving the same satisfaction score as last year.