Survey says appliance shoppers still favor physical stores
By Andy Kriege YSN
You may be familiar with J.D. Power through its customer satisfaction reports on automobiles, but the 50-year-old market research firm also scrutinizes other product sectors, appliances included.
According to the company’s 2023 U.S. Appliance Satisfaction Study released late last month, Samsung outperformed its peers in eight separate categories. The study measured customer satisfaction in 12 segments of major home appliances including cooktops, freestanding ranges, wall oven,; over-the-range microwaves, dishwashers;,French door refrigerators, side-by-side refrigerators, two-door refrigerators with top-mount freezer, front-load clothes washers, top-load clothes washers, clothes dryers and appliance retailers.
Samsung received more J.D. Power Awards in the kitchen and laundry categories than any other brand in this year’s study.
Samsung also ranked highest in customer satisfaction for eight out of 12 appliance categories, including:
Laundry:
· Top-load washers (five years in a row)
· Front-load washers
· Dryers
Refrigeration:
· French door
· Top mount (two years in a row)
Cooking:
· Cooktop (two years in a row)
· Range (two years in a row)
The 2023 Appliance Satisfaction Study is based on 21,062 evaluations from customers who purchased home appliances during the past year. The study was fielded from December 2022 through March 2023.
Bonus News for Brick-and-Mortar Retailers
The J.D. Power study also included some additional good news for brick-and-mortar retailers. Nearly three-fourths (71%) of home appliance purchases occur in-store and 75% of appliance purchases are made on the first visit, the survey showed. And while 29% of purchases are made online, most shoppers still want to see the product before purchasing.
“This year’s data shows us that 56% of home appliance shoppers are doing their research online before heading in store to purchase,” said Christina Cooley, home intelligence lead at J.D. Power. “Though price is almost always going to be the main driver of whether someone decides to purchase an appliance or not, one-third of buyers did not purchase because they were seeking specific options and features and one-fifth indicated they couldn’t purchase, as their desired appliance wasn’t in stock.”
For more information about the J.D. Power Appliance Satisfaction Study, click here.
