Publix leads in customer satisfaction

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Publix was one of the highest-ranked brick-and-mortar retailers in a report released Tuesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. While supermarkets overall are up 1.3% to 76, Publix remains the grocer to beat, with a score of 84.

Other highly ranked traditional retailers include Costco with an ACSI score of 83 (+1%) and Sam’s Club at 81 (+4%).

Meanwhile, health and personal care stores retreated for a second year and are the only retail category to lose customer satisfaction ground in 2011. Among the big three chains, Walgreen lost 3% and dropped into a tie with an unchanged Rite Aid at 75. Customer satisfaction with CVS Caremark dwindles to a seven-year low of 73 (-1%), perhaps symptomatic of the company’s cost-cutting in the face of depressed sales, the report said.