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New research dissects what makes a 'wow experience'

July 8, 2009 by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

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A new survey from The Verde Group and the Retail Council of Canada says that most shoppers — just slightly more than 50 percent — have had a great retail experience in the past six months.

What exactly made those experiences great, however, is complex. Fewer than 10 percent of the respondents could point out a single superb element; for most, it was a perfect storm of six or more different factors working together.

The full results are found in "Discovering 'WOW' - A Study of Great Retail Shopping Experiences in North America." The study surveyed 1,000 shoppers that had made a retail purchase other than food or alcohol in the past month.

Engagement - being polite, genuinely caring and interested in helping, acknowledging and listening Executional Excellence - patiently explaining and advising, checking stock, helping find products, having product knowledge, providing unexpected product quality Brand Experience - exciting store design/atmosphere, consistently great product quality, making customers feel they're special and that they always get a deal Expediting - being sensitive to customers' time and long check-out lines, being proactive in helping speed up the process Problem Recovery - helping resolve and compensate for problems, upgrading quality and ensuring complete satisfaction

About James Bickers

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James Bickers is the former senior editor of Retail Customer Experience, and also manages webinars for Networld Media Group. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and innovative content strategist, with publication credits in national, international and regional publications.

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