Home improvement customers still prefer physical stores

Although Amazon continues to compete with home improvement retailers, 87% of home improvement purchases are happening in-store, says the ‘J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study.’ Eighty-nine percent of customers who are drawn to a physical store make a purchase on their first store visit, creating an advantage for that retailer, says the data. “The digital aspect of home improvement retailing is becoming increasingly important as more customers are researching online and watching how-to videos and Amazon is definitely getting a piece of this action,” says Christina Cooley, senior director of the home and retail intelligence practice at J.D. Power. “However, Amazon cannot compete with the holistic journey that brick-and-mortar stores provide. Starting from the digital resources, physical locations have the ability to support customers from project ideation to a personalized in-store shopping and purchase experience.” The study says that overall customer experience is based on five key drivers of satisfaction: merchandise; price; sales and promotions; staff and service; and store facility.