Lush is the number one shop overall in the 2014 Which? shops survey, reclaiming the top spot it held in 2012.
After finishing second to Apple last year, the cosmetics retailer topped the table of 100 shops with a customer score of 83%. Apple itself slipped to thirteenth in the poll this year.
There were strong scores for electrical retailers, with the Richer Sounds chain coming third overall with a score of 81%, and independent electricals retailers securing fourteenth spot with 75%. Maplin and Sony Centre joined the shops on 75%. Fresh from its recent merger with Dixons, Carphone Warehouse managed joint twenty-ninth position (71%).
The scores are calculated against customers’ most recent visit to a shop, and whether they would recommend it to a friend. The survey is based on the views of 12,500 shoppers, and produces customer scores for 100 of the UK’s biggest shops.
Which? noted that while the items the top shops in the survey sell are completely different, they have one thing in common – outstanding customer service.
Unhelpful staff was reportedly the most common complaint for the lower rated shops.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “We’ve seen time and time again that consumers won’t settle for bad customer service and our high street shops survey confirms this. Those stores giving people the care and attention they want have happy customers who return.”
