The company “REWE” which is the second biggest German food retail group was founded in Cologne in 1927. It has 228,000 employees and an annual turnover of 36,2 billion euros.
As a stationary food retail trade, it especially attracts people with a high brand and quality consciousness.
The market REWE is active in is very dense and full of competitors which is why there is a lot of competitive struggle. To survive or even grow in this market the company has to aim for satisfied, loyal customers supporting REWE’s success.
Regarding the problem statement, for REWE it is very important to increase customer satisfaction. The increase of the customer satisfaction is one of many possibilities to hold its own in the market and to expand its market share further. If REWE achieves to increase the customer satisfaction, there will be some other positive side-effects. Adding customer value causes more loyal customers. For REWE it is cheaper to bind customers instead of acquiring new ones. In addition, satisfied customers develop sales. It is a secure way of getting high profit. Furthermore, this business goal can help to reduce negative word-of-mouth-recommendation, REWE's image can be improved.
REWE increases the satisfaction of its customers by adressing their needs and continously raising quality. It shows that the achievement of this business goal depends on many different elements. Therefore, a list of elements, which have influence on the customer satisfaction, is set up in the first step (see chapter 2). Afterwards, the different elements are presented in the matrix of effects in chapter 3. This matrix is evaluated graphically in chapter 4. It helps to formulate first recommendations for the selected business goal of REWE. Chapter 5 represents the network model. Concrete and detailed recommendations for action will be pronounced. Chapter 6, finally, draws a conclusion and gives an outlook.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Problem Statement
1.2 Objective and Approach
2. List of elements
2.1 Overview
2.2 Product
2.3 Price
2.4 Design
2.5 Service
2.6 Communication / Experience
3. Matrix of effects
4. Graph of effects
5. Network model and recommendation for action
6. Conclusion and Outlook
Objective and Key Topics
The primary goal of this research project is to analyze and increase customer satisfaction at the stationary food retailer REWE. By identifying critical influencing factors and mapping their interdependencies, the study aims to provide strategic recommendations that help REWE maintain its market position and improve customer loyalty.
- Identification of 20 key elements affecting customer satisfaction in food retail.
- Application of impact matrices to evaluate mutual influences between variables.
- Graphical analysis of system relevance and network effects.
- Development of actionable recommendations focusing on regionality, events, and infrastructure.
Excerpt from the Book
2.5 Service
Another group you can frame is the "service". This group includes the four elements of employees, parking lots, opening hours and waiting time. All these elements can influence the customer satisfaction in a positive or negative way (cf. Wong & Sohal, 2003).
The first element mentioned deals with the employees. A business can provide a different amount of employees. If the company has a small amount of employees, they have less time to respond to customer queries or customer requirements. Customers will not feel well advised and this will lead to dissatisfaction. If there are enough employees, they will have more time and can respond individually to customer requirements. This automatically will lead to an increase in the customer satisfaction. In addition, a certain amount of employee competency is important for the customer. Customers like to be advised in their purchasing decisions, which will only be possible if the employees have a certain know-how. For example, a company can arrange its employees according to different categories (meat, cheese, etc.). As a result, the employees are able to advise customers perfectly and react properly to customer requirements. This leads to an increase in customer satisfaction. However, the fact that employees do not know their products and, for example, do not know where to find them has a negative impact on the customer’s satisfaction (cf. Hennig-Thurau, 2004).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the problem statement regarding competitive pressure in the German food retail market and defines the objective to improve customer satisfaction.
2. List of elements: Categorizes 20 essential factors into groups such as product, price, design, service, and communication that influence customer perceptions.
3. Matrix of effects: Evaluates the mutual interdependencies and relationships between the identified elements using a weighted impact matrix.
4. Graph of effects: Visualizes the matrix data in a coordinate system to identify critical control parameters and system-relevant variables.
5. Network model and recommendation for action: Demonstrates the complexity of interactions and provides specific strategic recommendations for events, regionality, and infrastructure.
6. Conclusion and Outlook: Synthesizes findings and suggests that regionality, events, and geographic position serve as the most effective levers for strategic control.
Keywords
Customer satisfaction, Food retail, REWE, Impact matrix, Network model, Regionality, Service quality, Market design, Consumer behavior, Strategic recommendation, Shopping experience, Retail management, Product range, Infrastructure, Customer loyalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The study focuses on identifying and analyzing the elements that influence customer satisfaction within the stationary food retail sector, specifically using REWE as a case study.
What are the central thematic areas?
The work covers five main categories: Product, Price, Design, Service, and Communication/Experience.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to determine how to effectively increase customer satisfaction to maintain competitiveness and grow market share.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses an impact matrix (cross-impact analysis) to evaluate the interdependencies between factors and a network model to visualize their causal influence.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main part details the categorization of elements, the creation of an impact matrix, the graphical analysis of effects, and the derivation of concrete action plans for REWE.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include customer satisfaction, food retail, impact matrix, regionality, service quality, and strategic retail management.
Why is regionality considered a key strategic lever?
Regionality strongly influences the perception of quality and freshness, and it serves as a differentiator that can be effectively managed through targeted advertising and store events.
How does geographic position impact the store's performance?
The geographic location dictates the store layout and accessibility, acting as an influential "starting" variable that affects many other elements and is difficult to change once established.
Can supermarket events really improve customer satisfaction?
Yes, if well-organized and aligned with the target audience, events create unique shopping experiences, though they must be supported by adequate staffing and infrastructure to avoid negative service impacts.
- Quote paper
- Pascal Limburg (Author), 2017, Increase of the customer satisfaction by the example of stationary food retail trade REWE, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/490038
