Kiwi youth declare shopping a hobby

Shopping appears to be a game that younger New Zealanders enjoy, with 39% of Generation Y respondents to our survey of department store customers declaring that shopping is their hobby.
By comparison, only 16% of Baby Boomers considered shopping in the same way.

When it came to department store loyalty, however, Generation X shoppers were the leaders, with 42% being a member of more than one department store loyalty program. This generation were also more likely to shop at a department store for its loyalty rewards.

Ever-hungry for a bargain, more than a third of our respondents admitted they only shop at a department store when there was a sale on. This was particularly true for residents of Auckland (43%) and less so for Christchurch residents (28%).

With more than half of our respondents saying they prefer to get all of their shopping done in the one place, it’s little wonder that department stores are popular with shoppers.

Our survey also looked at customer satisfaction levels with department stores. Our results show that Kmart has performed well and have received our most satisfied customers award for department stores in front of both Farmers and The Warehouse.

We saw two big brands achieve five star ratings in these results:

• Kmart received five stars for overall customer satisfaction, value for money, price compared to other brick and mortar retailers, and store layout.
• Meanwhile, Farmers took out top ratings for service and/or advice, range of brands, and range of products available.

Other survey findings showed that males and females were equally as likely to try on clothing in a store and then look for a similar item to buy online for a similar price (14%), but that Generation Y were more likely to do this than the older respondents.

Canstar Blue commissions Your Source to regularly survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who have made a purchase from a department store in the last 6 months – in this case, 2261 people.

Brands must receive at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands that received three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10.

Overall customer satisfaction

Kmart received our five star award for overall customer satisfaction, followed by Farmers and The Warehouse on four stars.

Value for money

Kmart customers were the most satisfied with their department store when it came to value for money, with the brand receiving five stars. The Warehouse received four stars, followed by Farmers with a three star rating.

Service and/or advice

Farmers received the five star rating for service and advice, followed by Kmart on four stars and The Warehouse on three.

Range of brands available

Farmers again received the five star rating when it came to the range of brands available in store. Kmart and The Warehouse were equally rated on four stars.

Range of products available

The results for range of brands were replicated when it came to the range of products available. Farmers received five stars, followed by Kmart and The Warehouse on four.

Service and warranty

Fisher & Paykel customers were most satisfied with their refrigerator’s warranty and service. Fisher & Paykel achieved five stars for service; followed by Mitsubishi Electric and LG with four, and then Samsung and Westinghouse with three.

Store layout

Kmart customers were the most satisfied with the layout of their store, with the brand receiving five stars. Farmers and The Warehouse were again equally placed and each received four stars.