The American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) was recently released and provides some interesting insights into which retailers are impressing customers. They breakdown stores in terms of cleanliness, layout, knowledgeable employees, convenience, website satisfaction, and several other factors. I decided to cut through the fat and breakdown the 5 biggest winners and losers. I’d love to get your opinion in the comments section as well.

Publix (86)

While up only 2 points from 2016, Publix comes in with the highest customer satisfaction score for 2017.

Shoppers cite strong customer service, clean stores, and competitive pricing as the main reasons.

I actually don’t have a Publix in my neck of the woods so I’d be curious to hear from you in the comments as to why you love the store.

Amazon (85)

People love Amazon Prime, no doubt. Free 2-day shipping and a bunch of cool Prime perks make it a terrific value.

Just make sure you avoid the dumb Amazon buys, and always price compare with other stores, and you’ll be golden.

L Brands (85)

L Brands is comprised of Victoria’s Secret and Bed Bath and Beyond and were the biggest upward movers in 2017, going from a score of 81 to 85.

Makes sense as they’ve thrown millions at improving the overall customer experience, both online and in-store, and it seems to be paying off.

Trader Joe’s (85)

Trader Joe’s is a pretty happy and upbeat place to shop so the 85 makes sense.

Clean stores, helpful and friendly employees, and a terrific selection of products.

Just make sure you buy the right items and take advantage of their excellent return policy.

Costco (83)

With a very liberal return and price adjustment policy it’s no wonder Costco gets a strong score.

Throw in the killer food court and happy employees and the 83 score makes sense.

Just be sure to avoid the center of the store if you’re only there to buy toilet paper, dog food, and chicken breasts.

Otherwise you might end up with a shopping cart full of stuff you had NO intention of buying when you walked-in.

And the 5 Biggest Retail Disappointments…

1. Dollar General (Down 6%)

This one kinda surprised me and the report doesn’t go into why Dollar General dropped so much.

I personally love the store and the 22 best buys within. Have you had a bad experience at Dollar General?

What items at Dollar General do you think provide the best value?

2. Home Depot (Down 5%)

Home Depot finished dead last in the Specialty Store category. Quite a ways behind Lowe’s.

Could be their confusing return policy or their lack of employee help.

I personally always have a hard time finding help in the cavernous aisles.

What say you?

3. Kmart/Sears (Down 5%)

This one is no big surprise as the retailer has been suffering from declining sales for years.

They actually closed 400 stores in 2017 and more closures are surely ahead.

Kmart and Sears seem destined to be gone forever within the next few years.

4. Dilliard’s (Down 4%)

I’ve never actually been in a Dilliard’s so it’s hard for me to analyze this drop in customer satisfaction.

The report doesn’t offer any insight either.

Can anyone provide some insight for the big decline from Dilliard’s?

5. GameStop (Down 4%)

GameStop take a big drop due to a slow checkout process and employees who’re not very courteous.

The Gamestop return policy is also fairly stiff which undoubtedly contributed to the drop.

Ask the Reader: What retailer’s do you think offers the best customer experience? How about the worst?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Brownpau.