America Loves Ace

Ann-Marie Vazzano

Sorry, Home Depot and Lowe’s. Ace Hardware ranked first in customer satisfaction for the 10th year in a row, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study. Menards ranked second on the list, followed by Lowe’s. The study measures satisfaction among five categories: merchandise, price, sales and promotions, staff and service, and store facility. Ace scored especially high in the area of staff and service, with consumers citing staff availability and knowledge as top attributes. The findings also show that satisfaction drives loyalty. Among customers who were delighted with their shopping experiences, 76% say they definitely will purchase from that retailer, compared to the study average of just 39%. In addition, 77% of delighted home improvement customers say they definitely will recommend the retailer to others, compared to the study average of 40%. GP