Amazon UK Slips Down the Customer Satisfaction Rankings: Could We See a Similar Shift in the US?

Executive Summary

• In 2017, OC&C Strategy Consultants reported that Amazon had lost its long-held first place in its annual ranking of the UK’s favorite retailers. Amazon UK fell sharply in last year’s survey, to fourth place.
• OC&C’s 2017 survey found that Amazon UK saw lower scores for value for money, quality, low prices, store look and feel, and customer service year over year.
• No such decline in customer satisfaction was evident in the US, though, and Amazon continues to rank as the favorite online retailer in Germany, its largest non-US market.
• Possible reasons for Amazon UK customers’ reduced satisfaction are the company’s use of some delivery services with poor reputations and heightened competition in delivery and collection.
• The UK case suggests that Amazon may face challenges in sustaining customer satisfaction levels in other markets as omnichannel competition increases. As more retailers offer rapid delivery and free rapid collection services, Amazon’s fulfillment advantages diminish.