In 2023, Costco and Macy's scored highest on the consumer satisfaction index for department and discount stores in the United States with a rating of 82, five points above the average rating of 77. The index score is based on a 100-point scale.

The statistic presents data on customer satisfaction with selected supermarkets in the United States in the 2023/24. In that period, a trio of supermarkets including Costco, Publix, and H-E-B scored highest on the customer satisfaction index for supermarkets with a rating of 85, six points above the average supermarket rating of 76. The index score is based on a 100-point scale.

Customer satisfaction with Walmart was lower than the national average for supermarkets in the United States in 2024. Walmart recorded an index score of 74, which was five index points below the average supermarket rating of 79. The index score is based on a 100-point scale. The highest-ranking supermarket in that year was the trio of H-E-B, Costco and Publix, with a score of 85 each.

Walmart origins

Walmart, formerly known as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., is the world’s largest retail company, with total global revenue amounting to 611 billion U.S. dollars in fiscal year ended January, 2024. The first Walmart store was opened in Rogers, Arkansas by Sam Walton in 1962. The company went public in 1970 as it continued to expand. With store growth came new store formats – the first Sam’s Club membership-only warehouse retailer opened in 1983 and the first Walmart Supercenter in 1988. The company went on to expand into Central and South America, Canada, China, South Africa and the United Kingdom. In 2023, there were over 10,000 Walmart stores worldwide.

This statistic shows the customer satisfaction with Costco in Canada as of May 2014 and 2016. During the survey, 63 percent of the respondents said they were very satisfied with their overall shopping experience at Costco in 2014, decreasing to 62 percent in 2016.

In 2019, Sears recorded a consumer satisfaction index score of 71, five points below the average department and discount score rating of 76. The index score is based on a 100-point scale. Costco was the highest ranked store among customers that year.

Over the last several years, Costco has seen a yearly increase in its global net sales, rising from 110.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 to 249.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. Costco has made a name for itself worldwide as a members-only wholesale retailer with warehouse style stores. Costco in the U.S. Costco opened its first warehouse in Seattle, Washington in 1983 and has since expanded to become one of the most respected and valuable retailers in the United States and worldwide. Among the top three mass market retailers in the United States: Walmart, Costco, and Target; Costco had the highest average sales volume per store, at 299 million U.S. dollars as of 2023. Costco Customers Costco sets itself apart from many other mass merchants by requiring customers to pay a yearly membership fee in order to shop at its locations. A 2023 survey found that the largest share of Costco’s American customer base is between the ages of 18 and 49 years. The company also prides itself in having the highest customer satisfaction rating of any department or discount store in the United States in 2023.

As of 2024, Costco operated 890 warehouses worldwide, up from 592 warehouses in 2011. Each year the company has opened new branches and is now one of the top retailers worldwide in terms of revenue. Costco Key Facts Costco opened its first warehouse in 1983 in Seattle, Washington, where the company is still headquartered today. Costco is known for selling bulk goods and requiring a membership in order to shop there. In 2024, Costco boasted nearly 137 million club members worldwide, up from 76.4 million members in 2014. Costco’s net sales have also seen a steady increase over the last several years and amounted to 249.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Costco Consumer Behavior Costco consistently ranks highly in terms of customer satisfaction and retained many loyal customers over the years. In 2023, Costco had a customer satisfaction rating of 82, a higher score than any other department or discount store in the United States. Less than 20 percent of Costco shoppers in the United States are between the ages of 50 and 64 years, making up the smallest share of Costco’s customer base of any age group.

In 2024, Costco generated 184.1 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from their operations in the United States. In Canada and through its international ventures the company generated 34.9 billion and 35.3 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Costco Wholesale CorporationCostco opened its first warehouse in Seattle, Washington in 1983 and has since expanded to become one of the most respected and valuable retailers in the United States and worldwide. Over the last several years, Costco has seen a yearly increase in its global net sales, rising from 110.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 to 249.6 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. The company operates warehouse clubs in a number of countries around the world. However, the vast majority of the retailer’s warehouses are still located in their home market of the United States. Costco Customers Costco stands out among numerous mass merchants by requiring customers to pay a yearly membership fee in order to shop at its locations. In 2023, the majority of Costco’s American customer base fell within the age range of 18 to 49 years. The company takes pride in achieving the highest customer satisfaction rating among all department and discount stores in the United States in the same period.

In 2023, Macy's was ranked as the leading department store in the United States, with sales amounting to about 23 billion U.S. dollars. Kohl's followed, with sales reaching over 16.5 billion. In October of 2024, U.S. department store sales reached 10.4 billion U.S. dollars. Catering to the consumer One of the reasons for Macy’s success is likely its high rates of consumer satisfaction. Brands like J.C. Penney were hardly competitive when it came to this metric, and even Kohl’s struggled to achieve above-average markings via the consumer satisfaction index. Interestingly, Macy’s index score was similar to Costco’s. What kinds of offline purchases thrive? The most common offline purchases as of September 2024 included grocery store and supermarket purchases, as well as clothing, apparel, and shoe stores. Different generations purchasing fashion items also varied by type of store. Superstores were liked the most by all generations, while purchasing clothes from department stores was particularly popular among the Boomer generation.

Supermarket customers are generally very satisfied overall with the leading Australian supermarkets. In a 2019 survey, 82 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with Foodland. By comparison, 81 percent of Harris Farm Markets customers and 76 percent of Costco customers also said they were satisfied. Australia’s two largest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, didn’t fare so well, achieving 67 and 69 percent of satisfied survey respondents respectively.

Supermarket satisfaction  

In a 2019 survey about supermarket customer satisfaction, Foodland had the most customers who were satisfied with the company’s product range; 81 percent of respondents said they were happy with products the company sold. Comparatively, only 68 percent of Woolworths customers and 65 percent of Coles customers said they were satisfied. When asked about the quality of fresh produce, the results were similar; 87 percent of respondents said they were happy with the fresh products offered by Harris Farm Markets, compared to 65 percent of Woolworths customers and 64 percent of Coles customers.

When it came to word of mouth, 99 percent said they would recommend Harris Farm Markets to friends and family. Elsewhere, Woolworths and Coles achieved 80 percent and 75 percent of customers who said they would recommend them to others respectively.

Customer satisfaction – the wider picture  

Customers are generally highly satisfied across most leading industries in Australia. Even the lowest scoring industry in a 2020 survey, risk and life insurance, achieved around 65 percent of satisfied customers. Elsewhere, around 91 percent of respondents were satisfied with hardware stores nationally, and 92.3 percent said they were happy with car manufacturers.

This statistic shows the share of consumers who are very satisfied with selected retailers in Canada as of May 2014 and 2016. During the survey, 63 percent of the respondents said they were very satisfied with Costco in 2014, decreasing to 62 percent of respondents in 2016.