NORDSTOM IS RANKED FAVORITE RETAILER IN RECENT SURVEY

A survey of over 5,700 consumers found that Nordstrom ranked first among retailers in customer satisfaction. It specifically ranked highest scores for atmosphere, checkout speed and finding the correct size/product the customer was looking for. One in five customers surveyed indicated they were dissatisfied in general with their fashion retail experience across all retailers. 40% of these customers indicated that the sales experience was very important to them, and that less than half of them were approached by a sales associate, which was key to their satisfaction. Nordstrom’s sales associates assisted customers the most and received the highest satisfaction scores.

Coming in behind Nordstrom were Marshalls, H&M, Ross, Kohl’s and Macy’s.

With merchandise selection and ease of finding items and size selection the top of customers’ needs, retailers and vendors recognize the importance of partnering to share point of sale and inventory data in order to optimize store assortments. Many vendors, such as Brahmin Leather, Anastasia Beaute and The Sak, utilize Accelerated Analytics to monitor and act on inventory levels and customer buying patterns in Nordstrom and other retailers to maximize their effectiveness in this area.

Source: Chain Store Age

CVS TAKES OVER TARGET PHARMACIES

CVS Health and Target announced a $1.9 billion sale of Target’s pharmacy business to CVS. CVH will rebrand Target’s 1,700 prescriptions departments as CVS and CVS will acquire Target’s 80 clinic locations and rebrand them as MinuteClinic. Both companies also announced plans to develop 5-10 small format stores in the next 2 years that will be branded Target Express and contain a CVS Health pharmacy.

Both companies have stated goals of core business investments to drive growth, and focus on wellness as a signature category, focusing on consumers eating well, being active and finding natural and clean label products. The rollout will take place over a period of several months to ensure the smoothest possible transition for their pharmacy and clinic patients.

"This strategic relationship with Target supports the highly complementary customer base, brand and culture we share," said Larry Merlo, CVS Health president and CEO. “This relationship with Target will provide consumers with expanded options and access to our unique healthcare services that lead to better health outcomes and lower overall healthcare costs.”

"At Target, we've talked a lot about the evolving preferences of our guests and this partnership demonstrates that we're committed to putting them at the forefront of everything we do," said Brian Cornell, Target chairman and CEO. "By partnering with CVS Health, we will offer our guests industry leading healthcare services, and at the same time, sharpen our focus on elevating the way we deliver wellness products and experiences to our guests."

Source: Chain Store Age

Household Consumer Spending Rebounds in March

The latest Survey of Consumer Expectations from the New York Fed stated that as of March consumers expect their spending will increase by 4.5% over the next year. This is a big change from February findings, when consumers thought spending would be just 3.8%. The February decline is attributed to the poor weather conditions.

Retail sales are expected to show a 1% increase in March, after declines in January and February.

Source: Business Insider