Co-op News (August 2019)

CO-OP GROUP
Co-op Food is a top supermarket for customer satisfaction
The latest UK Customer Satisfaction
Index (UKCSI) reveals Co-op Food as the
top bricks and mortar food retailer for
customer service.
Only online supermarket Ocado was
ranked above the Group in the index,
which rates customer satisfaction across
13 sectors, incorporating the views of
10,000 consumers and over 240 brands.
Published by the Institute of Customer
Service (ICS), the index takes into
account five factors: experience with
organisations; complaint handling;
perceptions of customer ethos; emotional
connection; and ethical behaviour.
The index praised the Group for making
improvements in customer satisfaction
and convenience sales growth, where it
has enjoyed five years of consecutive likefor-like
growth. Co-op Food achieved sales
growth of 4.5% in 2019, outperforming
the sector average of 2.0%.
According to the index, Co-op Food is
the most improved supermarket in the
food retail sector, despite the average food
retail sector customer satisfaction falling
year on year by 1.1 points, to 80.1.
The report adds that in January 2019,
Co-op Food exceeded the sector average
customer satisfaction for the first time.
A total of 11 companies in food retail
received a UKCSI score but only Co-op
Food improved its score (by 2.5 points)
compared to a year ago.
Chris Whitfield, chief operating officer,
Co-op Food, said: “Our ambition is for all
of our stores to be at the heart of local life,
connecting communities, creating value
locally and bringing people together.
Our members and customers expect us
to deliver what they want, need and care
about – and we are dedicated to doing just
that. We are delighted with the findings,
and while there is always more that needs
to be done, they illustrate outcomes of
continued investment in our people,
product development, store improvement,
supplier relationships and communities.”
Joanna Causon, CEO of the ICS, said
that in a highly competitive sector where
service levels are on the whole declining,
focusing on delivering a brilliant end-toend
experience is increasingly important.
She added: “Our previous research
shows a correlation between sustained
levels of high customer satisfaction
and increased sales, market share and
repeat custom. Co-op Food is showing
the benefits of getting service right for
customers – with a strong performance in
the UK Customer Service Index also being
reflected in its financial performance.”
The Co-op Group was also one of the top
rated organisations for ethics, along with
employee-owned John Lewis.
The index looked at the reputation,
openness and transparency and the
extent to which an organisation is deemed
to “do the right thing”.
The way we look is changing.
But what we stand for is staying the same.
We deliver vegetarian, natural and
responsibly-sourced products to businesses
and communities across the UK, and worldwide.
And as a worker-owned, equal pay co-op, we’ve
been doing it differently for more than 40 years.
We are Suma.
AUGUST 2019 | 9