November 7, 2011
Kohl's is the nation's favorite fashion retail chain, according to an annual consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information, a provider of customer intelligence solutions. This is the third year in a row that Kohl's has earned the top spot, according to the company. Nordstrom ranked as consumers' second favorite, followed by Macy's, Dillard's and JCPenney.
Market Force surveyed almost 7,000 consumers across North America and asked them to select their favorite fashion retailer from a list of 91 national chains. Results were first tallied based on the number of total votes, where Kohl's took a clear lead with 16 percent of the vote total. But the number of votes has a strong correlation to the number of stores. Market Force wanted to determine which chain received the most votes per store, so it indexed the findings by store count. The results showed that Kohl's still is consumers' top choice.
Before the votes were indexed, Kohl's earned the most total votes, while JCPenney amassed the second most, and then Macy's, Walmart and T.J. Maxx.
Kohl's triumphs as nation's favorite
When the votes were indexed to account for number of stores, Wisconsin-based Kohl's retained the No. 1 position. The complete top 10 list:
1. Kohls
2. Nordstrom
3. Macy's
4. Dillard's
5. JCPenney
6. Coldwater Creek
7. Ann Taylor LOFT
8. T.J. Maxx
9. Old Navy
10. Marshalls
Although they still made it into the top 16 overall, brands like Walmart, Target and Dress Barn landed toward the bottom of the rankings.
"More than 70 percent of surveyed consumers said that they shopped most recently for casual clothing, with business clothing coming in a distant second. That number grows to a whopping 90 percent when we asked what they shopped for at their favorite retailer. That tells us that price and type of merchandise loom large as selection criteria for a casual fashion retailer," said Janet Eden-Harris, chief marketing office for Market Force. "Kohl's has achieved that great balance of broad selection and good prices, particularly in the casual clothing sector. But, notice that Nordstrom secured second place, and specialty stores like Coldwater Creek and Ann Taylor Loft came in sixth and seventh. Those results might suggest that consumers are loosening their pocketbooks in favor of quality over a bargain for select fashion items."
Marshalls gets points for loyalty program, Macy's scores for designer selections
Market Force also looked at how the favorite fashion retail chains compared in different categories to determine if certain attributes set apart the leaders from the rest. Kohl's performed consistently well across the board, leading in almost every category, including no-hassle returns, prices, easy parking, dressing rooms, atmosphere and customer service. Marshalls was the only retailer that received high marks for loyalty program benefits. Macy's trumped the others for offering the widest assortment of clothing and accessories from specific designers.
Market Force conducted the fashion retail survey in October 2011. The pool of almost 7,000 survey respondents ranged in age from 18 to more than 65 and reflected a broad spectrum of income levels, with three-quarters reporting incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Eighty one percent were women, the primary household consumer purchasers. Half of the participants said they have children at home.
