Retail Market Suffers Decline In Customer Satisfaction In 2014, ACSI Report Says

Customer satisfaction with the retail market declined 1.4 percent to an ACSI score of 76.8, with all retail categories, except Internet retail, showing weaker or flat customer satisfaction levels. Factors driving the downturn included rising prices, with retailers selling non-discretionary products being affected the most. Online retailers received higher customer satisfaction, compared with 2013, a year characterized with winter storms and and an increase in online shopping which caused delivery delays. Customer satisfaction with gasoline service stations dropped 2.7 percent to an ACSI score of 73; however, prospects looked better for 2015, driven in part by falling oil price.