British consumers feel most loyal to Tesco and Ocado online and to Marks & Spencer and Waitrose in store, although those retailers with loyalty schemes are the ultimate winners in the battle of the grocery brands.
So says a study carried out by DunnHumby and trade rag Retail Week, designed to better understand what customers want from a food shopping experience.
The research, “Grocery CX: Driving loyalty in a disloyal market”, quizzed 2,000 UK consumers about their in-store and online retail grocery experiences.
The research identified distinctions between emotional and behavioural loyalty. Respondents rated “shopping with a retailer that offers a loyalty scheme” as being more important than “feeling loyal” towards a retailer.
Perhaps unsurprisingly then, two-thirds of respondents with a Tesco Clubcard claimed they would be more likely to shop in store with the retailer. That finding will no doubt be at the top of the agenda at Tesco – which just so happens to own DunnHumby – as the supermarket giant embarks on a major investment for the 20-year-old loyalty programme.
DunnHumby chief executive Guillaume Bacuvier said: “The findings highlight the importance of getting the basics right: customers expect freshness, a good range of products and value for money as standard. A strong online offering is also critical, as customers increasingly shop both in store and online and expect a convenient, personalised experience across all touchpoints.”
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