Overall customer satisfaction with the retail sector, despite uneven gains in 2024, inched up 0.4 points to a score of 78.3 out of 100, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Retail and Consumer Shipping Study 2025.
Some retailers have found recent success through strategic discounting and promotions, but others find themselves struggling with the cumulative impacts of inflation as it has affected their customers, ACSI reported. Online retail has experienced a shakier relationship with consumers lately, as 65% of brands tracked by ACSI endured declines in customer satisfaction scores. Satisfaction with the supermarket industry, in contrast, has remained relatively stable.
In the latest ACSI study, customer satisfaction with online retailers — web-based and omnichannel operator digital businesses — slipped one point to a score of 79, as more than two-thirds of individual companies experienced satisfaction declines.
In the digital sector, pet supply etailer Chewy gained one point to an 85 ranking. Amazon held steady at 83, as did eBay at 81. Other scores included Kohl’s.com, unchanged; costco.com, down 2%, Etsy, down 1%, and home depot.com, up 3% — all finishing with an industry average score of 79.
Customer satisfaction with general merchandise retailers improved slightly, up 1% to an ACSI score of 78, with improvements in employee and checkout experiences helping to drive the increase, ACSI maintained.
In its general merchandise business, Sam’s Club’s score advanced five points to 85, making it the satisfaction leader among warehouse clubs and general merchandise retailers overall. ACSI credited that to the rollout of the banner’s Scan & Go service, which allows shoppers to skip checkout lines, as well as automated receipt checking. TJX Cos. brands Marshalls and TJ Maxx each gained four points to 82, with their value focus providing a boost. The brands have become go-to spots for Gen Z customers who prefer good deals on high-quality items to shopping at upscale venues, according to ACSI. At the same time, Macy’s remained unchanged at 82, and Target slipped one point to 80.
Although it has been the most downloaded retail app in the United States for the past two years, Temu debuted in the ACSI online rankings with a score of 75, trailing many of its direct competitors in customer satisfaction terms.
“Though there wasn’t much movement in retail customer satisfaction overall, we’re seeing a clear divide emerge between brands that are meeting the needs and expectations of younger consumers versus those that are falling behind,” said Forrest Morgeson, assistant professor of marketing at Michigan State University and research director emeritus at the ACSI. “Factors like mobile shopping capabilities, website quality, and perceptions of value are becoming increasingly important, especially for the 18-to-25 age group, who expressed significantly lower satisfaction levels compared to older demographics.”
