We’d like to think all retailers go out of the way to make sure consumers leave their stores happy. And while there are some fantastic customer-focused retailers, there are also some less-than-exceptional performers. So we asked our members to tell us about their shopping experiences, to separate retail superheroes from the supervillains.

Measuring satisfaction

We asked members how satisfied they were with a store, and how likely they were to recommend a store to others. We also asked them to rate stores on satisfaction measures such as product range and price, delivery, and point-of-sale and after-sale service. Finally, we asked about their perception of the retailer (such as “are they an expert?” and “do they have pushy salespeople?”). We gathered data about their purchase (such as “was it on sale?” and “were you offered an extended warranty?”)

We only analysed retailers that received more than 30 responses in a category (responses received are shown with the retailer name in the tables). We used a zero to 10-point scale for our questions where a score of eight to 10 reflects “very satisfied”, “very likely to recommend” or “strongly agree with the statement”. Only statistically significant results are highlighted in our tables. We’ve marked a retailer as above () or below average () if either of their “would recommend” or “overall satisfaction” percentages are significantly above or below the category average.

Large whiteware and cooking appliances

Despite appearing at opposite ends of the table, 100% Appliances and Harvey Norman aren’t too different when it comes to satisfaction with product range and price. Their customers also thought they both offered a good selection of the latest products.

But that’s where any similarity ends. 100% Appliances customers were more likely to be satisfied with point-of-sale service (75% vs 55%), after-sale service (46% vs 24%), delivery price (65% vs 35%) and delivery speed (81% vs 58%). Customers thought 100% Appliances had more expertise in these products (62% vs 40%) and sales staff were less pushy (89% vs 55%).

The results paint an overall picture of two retailers selling similar products but achieving different satisfaction outcomes.

“Particularly liked the way they took away my old fridge at no additional cost.” - 100% Appliances customer

“Long drawn-out process to get appliance repaired under warranty.” - Harvey Norman customer

Where most purchases were made (53%)

Harvey Norman 913 responses, 32%
Noel Leeming 591 responses, 21%

Small appliances (kitchen and laundry)

“They had the best price” was overwhelmingly the most popular reason for choosing where to shop for small appliances, mentioned by 56% of consumers. This was no more apparent than at Briscoes — where 75% of customers mentioned price. Only The Warehouse customers thought they got more of a bargain (78% said price was a factor). A staggering 93% of products bought from Briscoes were reduced in price; only Farmers came close, discounting 91% of purchases.

Despite fewer-than-average Briscoes customers very satisfied with their point-of-sale service, an above-average number of them were very likely to recommend the store to others. It seems, for small appliances, the promise of discounts holds a lot of sway.  

“Easy to find what I was looking for and no pushy sales staff.” - Briscoes customer

“Salespeople quite pushy trying to up-sell.” - Godfreys customer

Where most purchases were made (63%)

Briscoes 901 responses, 24%
Noel Leeming 772 responses, 20%
Harvey Norman 738 responses, 19%

Home technology

Three in five home technology purchases were made at Noel Leeming, Harvey Norman or JB Hi-Fi. But none of those stores beat any of the average satisfaction scores for this category.

Stores with the most satisfied customers (Apple Store, Heathcote Appliances, 100% Appliances and PB Technologies) were more likely to be viewed as experts in home technology, have better-than-average after-sales service satisfaction, and be selected by customers who’d previously had good experiences with them.

When it comes to home technology, it seems that while the majority shop with the big players, the minority appreciate being looked after by stores that know their stuff and care about their purchase.

“The TV was reduced in price, delivered free and set up for me.” - 100% Appliances customer

“I’m sick of arguing with staff about extended warranties.” - Harvey Norman customer

Where most purchases were made (53%)

Noel Leeming 825 responses, 33%
Harvey Norman 500 responses, 20%

Mobile technology

You might think buying a mobile device from a telco provider, such as Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees, would be a wise move. Their customers perceive them as experts in mobile technology with the latest products.

But only customers of 2degrees rate the store highly: it has an above-average number of very satisfied customers who would recommend it to others, and above-average point-of-sale and after-sale service satisfaction.

The Vodafone Store manages only average satisfaction in most measures, and falls below the average for price satisfaction. Spark does better, achieving above-average range, point-of-sale and after-sales service satisfaction, but compared with 2degrees, fewer Spark customers are very satisfied overall or very likely to recommend it to others.

“They seemed to care that I was satisfied without being offhand to us ‘oldies’.” - 2degrees customer

“Entertainment counter often unattended – can take excruciatingly long time to get someone there.” - The Warehouse customer

Where most purchases were made (50%)

Noel Leeming 630 responses, 22%
Spark Store 440 responses, 15%
Vodafone Store 379 responses, 13%

Computing

Apple Store and PB Technologies lead the way in computing retailer satisfaction. Both are seen as experts with the latest products.

PB Technologies has an above-average number of customers very satisfied with price (the store is seen as “offering the best specials” and has more than 50% of purchases made at a reduced price), which may drive the high likelihood of its customers recommending it to others.

Apple Store customers display below-average price satisfaction and just 10% of purchases there are made at a reduced price. Online Apple Store customers report consistently high satisfaction with all aspects of their experience and delivery. It also has better than average after-sales service. Those results are perhaps key to its top overall satisfaction rating.

“Same price as other retailers, but easier online purchase with more info about product options.” - Apple Store customer

“I loathe their TV adverts and normally wouldn’t go anywhere near their stores, but they had what I needed in a hurry.” - Harvey Norman customer

Where most purchases were made (64%)

Noel Leeming 401 responses, 21%
PB Technologies 327 responses, 17%
Harvey Norman 264 responses, 14%
Warehouse Stationery 218 responses, 12%

Furniture and bedding

“It was the only retailer that sold the product I wanted” was the most common reason given for shopping at several furniture and bedding retailers. If a retailer is the only option, there seems to be a danger of it becoming complacent with customer service.

Of six retailers (Danske Møbler, Freedom Furniture, Furniture City, Hunter Furniture, Nood and Target Furniture) that were “the only option” for more than half of customers, only two (Danske Mobler and Nood) scored any above-average satisfaction measures.

Four of the six ranked below average for price and Freedom Furniture was below average for point-of-sale service too. In a category where more than half of purchases were delivered, three of these six (Target, Hunter Furniture and Freedom Furniture) fell short in delivery satisfaction.

Nood was the exception, despite three-quarters of people choosing it as their only option, three-quarters were very satisfied with its prices and it was one of only three retailers with above-average overall satisfaction.

“We purchased a bed, they delivered and set it up within 24 hours.” - Wellington Beds customer

“Many items have to be ordered in. Can take a while.” - Big Save customer

Where most purchases were made (36%)

Harvey Norman 267 responses, 12%
Farmers 265 responses, 12%
Briscoes 262 responses, 12%

Hardware and DIY

Bunnings or Mitre 10? There are other options, but you’d be forgiven for defaulting to one of the big two for hardware and DIY. But which one?

Our survey results show some small, but significant, differences between them — with Mitre 10 just having its nose in front for satisfied customers.

Mitre 10 is favoured overall with above-average overall satisfaction and customers more likely to recommend it to others. Bunnings is below-average in both of these measures. Mitre 10 also wins out in range, point-of-sale and after-sale satisfaction.

Bunnings customers are more satisfied with prices, and are more likely to say they shop there because it offers the cheapest price or is the only retailer to offer a product. But overall, its performance didn’t match its big rival.

“Almost like a family business — very helpful and knowledgeable staff.” - The Tool Shed customer

“Hard to find a team member to help me.” - Bunnings customer

Where most purchases were made (80%)

Mitre 10 975 responses, 43%
Bunnings 834 responses, 37%

Garden equipment, barbecues and outdoor furniture

Stihl Shop staff must be a happy lot. The Stihl Shop is the only garden equipment, barbecue and outdoor furniture retailer to have an above-average number of customers very satisfied or very likely to recommend it to others.

Besides its stellar satisfaction numbers, Stihl Shop customers are more likely to see its staff as experts, think they are friendly and helpful, and choose to shop there due to reputation. This is despite half of its customers saying they had no other option — Stihl Shop was the only retailer to sell the product they wanted, but still delivered the goods in customer satisfaction.  

“Good gear and knowledgeable staff. Nothing is too much trouble for them.” - Stihl Shop customer

“Expensive delivery options. We picked it up ourselves with a trailer.” - Harvey Norman customer

Where most purchases were made (50%)

Mitre 10 479 responses, 33%
Bunnings 250 responses, 17%

Sports, exercise and outdoor equipment

More than any other category, shopping for sports equipment was likely to be done at a smaller local store — 35% of purchases were made at retailers with fewer than 30 sales reported.

As a group, they performed well, posting above-average numbers across all key measures. Customers were less likely to point to their prices as a reason for shopping with them, in fact they were more likely to pay full price at these stores. But they praised their reputation and friendly and helpful staff.

Where most purchases were made (31%)

Rebel Sport 225 responses, 23%
Torpedo 7 80 responses, 8%

Online sales

More than 2500 (13%) of purchases reported in our survey were made online, with mobile technology, computing, and small kitchen and laundry products most likely to be purchased online.

Torpedo 7 and Apple Store led the way in online satisfaction, both posting high scores for all measures. Briscoes was surprisingly close behind. Only 10% of its sales were made online, but those who did were satisfied with their online experience and product delivery.

“Convenience of being able to buy online,” was a notable reason given for shopping at some stores, including Heathcote Appliances, Apple Store, Dell.co.nz and No.1 Fitness, but in general, this wasn’t a significant factor. Price, previous experience and helpful staff were far more influential.

GUIDE TO THE TABLE OUR SURVEY was carried out in October 2016. RETAILER shows, in brackets, how many purchases were reported in the survey, followed by the percentage of that retailer’s total reported online sales. Only retailers with 30 or more online sales are analysed. SHOPPING includes satisfaction scores for the product description, shopping cart and ordering process. DELIVERY includes satisfaction scores for the delivery price and speed.