JLL Study Names The Five Best Retailers At Creating A Shopping Experience

Apple, Victoria's Secret and Ulta Beauty outranked 100 national retail chains for the experience they provide customers in a recent study conducted by brokerage giant JLL and branding consulting firm Big Red Rooster.

The report, released at the International Conference of Shopping Centers' RECon event this weekend in Las Vegas, outlined six dimensions needed to create a successful retail experience — intuitive, human, meaningful, immersive, accessible and personalized.

Focusing on actual retailers of goods rather than purely experience-based brands like restaurants or bowling alleys, JLL and Big Red Rooster found that customers want to shop in stores that make sense to them, have helpful and knowledgeable staff, share their values, create an environment all their own, work well with technology and reward loyalty and/or individualization.

Surveying 2,000 shoppers about 100 national retailers spread across 10 different retail sectors, JLL and Big Red Rooster gave the following chains the highest rankings for overall retail experience: Apple, Victoria's Secret, Ulta, Bath & Body Works, IKEA, Best Buy, Gap, Bed Bath & Beyond, Academy Sports and Dick's Sporting Goods. 

Experience innovator Apple nabbed the top spot, thanks to its signature Apple Store design and revolutionary customer service model at its Genius Bars. Coming in second was Victoria's Secret, with its highly personalized sales staff and successful loyalty program, with ULTA Beauty in third, Bath & Body Works in fourth and IKEA in fifth.

IKEA stands out from its neighbors in the top five as a massive warehouse-style location, but scored high in the immersive and intuitive categories thanks to its unique store designs, JLL reports.