The Non-Grocery Retail sector ranked second, losing only to the restaurants and fast food industry, showing a strong presence at the top of the ladder and taking three out of the top 5 spots (1st Manufaktura, 2nd Teta drogerie, 5th Pandora).
In general, though, the sector’s results in individual pillars are just slightly above the average, with the Time and effort pillar being the only exception – here, the Non-Grocery Retail sector scored 2.4% above the market average, which may be caused by the fact that even the brands that were originally offline now offer the quick and efficient option of online shopping. The contradiction between being highly represented at the top of the ladder and achieving unimpressive, average pillar scores may be caused by the size and variedness of the sector that includes everything from cosmetics and jewellery to pharmacies and petrol stations, making the customer experience less unified.
The absolute winner of the Non-Grocery Retail category and the entire study is Manufaktura, a cosmetics brand that decided to leave wholesale stores and do its own thing. This way, the brand can control how the stores look, make sure the staff are well-trained and able to provide competent advice, and emphasize what’s important – a pleasant atmosphere, tasteful design, friendly staff and a local and historical context for their products.
The survey confirms that the brand is successfully bringing its vision to life, and customers appreciate that. Virtually every comment mentions the pleasant environment of the stores, high-quality products and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Manufaktura dominated the Empathy pillar, scoring 21% above the sector average, which is an astounding result that stresses the importance of a personal approach and the effect it has on general customer satisfaction.
Two brands that have shown the most significant progress were Teta drogerie (moving up 21 places and coming in second) and Hornbach, who beat the sector’s growth in all the pillars by approximately 0.2 points and moved up 19 places. The brand has long maintained the image of a home-improvement store with a good price-quality ratio and helpful, knowledgeable staff (“I have always received expert advice here, as opposed to their competitors...they really helped me instead of just pointing me to an aisle”). Hornbach communicates with its customers and is always willing to look for solutions in the case of any issues, complaints and returns. According to customers, the other home-improvement stores lag behind due to unhelpful staff, difficult return processes and disproportionately high prices.
“I am always happy whenever I come to the store in Karlovy Vary. The staff are friendly, helpful, always asking if I need any help, and always ready to give suggestions and advice. They always let me try their syrup before buying. The store smells amazing, too.” (Manufaktura)
“I liked how helpful the staff were – they helped me fill the tank, wash the car and gave me good advice (without me even having to ask them or chase them around).” (ONO petrol station)
“The shop assistants are always helpful, and I really like the idea of free coffee for the customers.” (Teta drogerie).