Customer loyalty soared for Costco, Amazon and Kroger as COVID-19 continued to impact consumer sentiment and expectations

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67% of consumers ranked a good customer experience as a top driver for brand loyalty

Costco, Amazon and Kroger topped Qualtrics’ (Nasdaq: XM) 2022 Experience Index, in a year when customers living out an extended global pandemic continued to seek experiences that enhanced living more of their lives at home.

Major grocery brands held half of the top 10 spots in the annual ranking of customer trust and loyalty. Online shopping giants Amazon and Etsy also landed in the top 10, along with digital payment provider Visa, Android and home audio company Bose.

The 2022 Experience Index asked 4,000 US consumers about their experiences with 180 companies across 25 different industries. The report, developed by the Qualtrics XM Institute, explores the best experiences companies delivered over the past year. Qualtrics is the leader and creator of the experience management (XM) category.

“As the pandemic continues to impact daily life, we’re all working, entertaining and cooking more at home. This list highlights companies that stepped up and delivered truly great experiences in a fast-changing world, listening deeply and responding with speed and agility,” said Bruce Temkin, head of the Qualtrics XM Institute. “In an online world where switching brands is as easy as turning on your phone, successful organizations met customers where they were, whether they needed curbside pickup, reliable delivery or a touch-free payment system.”

Companies have been forced throughout the pandemic to rethink the way they deliver experiences to their customers. Banks, healthcare providers and retailers had to innovate to meet customer demands for safety and convenience—and the top-ranking brands delivered touchless payment systems, grocery delivery, telehealth and digital public services.

Kroger, a grocery leader, invested in robotics technologies that can pick a 50-item order with 99% accuracy in under 5 minutes.

Target created a digital experience for customers that enables stores to personalize and customize grocery pickup service down to the exact part of the car where each customer wants the drop-off to happen.

Domino’s piloted driverless delivery and electronic bikes to ensure efficient and quality services to customers. The same approach is now being adopted by other delivery services.

Switching brands is easier than ever, and research shows that customer expectations have shifted over the course of the pandemic. Within the top 25 brands, 67% of consumers ranked a good customer experience as a top driver for brand loyalty. Businesses who take time to listen and understand the thoughts, feelings and emotions of customers, and act on that feedback, will be able to differentiate themselves in competitive markets.

To view the full 2022 Experience Index, please visit: qualtrics.com/experience-index-2022/

Methodology:

The Qualtrics XM Institute asked nearly 4,000 US consumers about their experiences with 180 companies across 25 different industries. Each company had a minimum of 100 responses from consumers who had interacted with that company in the past 3 months. Participants were selected via an online panel and the study ran in July 2021.

About Qualtrics

Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the experience management (XM) category, is changing the way organizations manage and improve the four core experiences of business — customer, employee, product and brand. Over 13,500 organizations around the world use Qualtrics to listen, understand and take action on experience data (X-data™)—the beliefs, emotions and intentions that tell you why things are happening, and what to do about it. The Qualtrics XM Platform™ is a system of action that helps businesses attract customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love and build a brand people are passionate about. To learn more, please visit qualtrics.com.

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