Retailers in Canada say are more confident than they have been in years when it comes to their financial outlook, and many attribute strong sales to an increasing focus on customer service.
The majority – 84% – of survey respondents in American Express’ annual Canadian Retail Insights poll said they forecast strong sales over the next 12 months. While 85% said they feel competition is increasing, almost all of those surveyed – 97% – said they were focusing on improving customer service to drive sales.
“In today’s market, consumers have more options than ever before, and to stay competitive we’re seeing businesses make customer service a major priority,” said Jennifer Hawkins, American Express Canada vice-president and general manager of merchant services.
“Customer service has long been a key ingredient of successful companies and we understand this first hand. Not surprisingly, nearly all retailers surveyed told us they are making efforts to improve service as a way to stand out from the pack, and in turn, grow loyalty and revenue.”
The increase in confidence in the retail sector is supported by recent data from Statistics Canada. In June, Canada had a year-over-year increase of 0.6%, with total retail sales reaching $43.2 billion. Sales increased in 8 of 11 retail subsectors, with electronics and appliance stores seeing one of the largest increases with 9.4%.
