Introducing the 2025 Retail CX Insights Report: 57 million customer feedback responses
Customer experience (CX) is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s a critical driver of operational success, customer loyalty, and revenue growth. To help retail leaders navigate the evolving CX landscape, we’re excited to announce the launch of the 2025 Retail CX Insights Report, built on insights from over 57 million in-store customer feedback responses collected throughout 2024.
This year’s report marks a major step forward, featuring not only extensive trend analysis and sector benchmarks but also expert contributions from some of the industry’s most respected voices. Whether you’re leading store operations or shaping customer strategy, this is your guide to the realities—and opportunities—of delivering standout experiences in today’s market.
What the data reveals
Drawing from over 57 million in-store feedback responses, the 2025 Retail CX Insights Report highlights clear performance patterns—and gaps—that retailers must navigate:
Timing matters: Satisfaction peaks between 7–8 AM (95.9%) and midweek (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, both 92.4%), but drops notably during evenings (6–8 PM, 90.2%) and weekends.
Regional nuance is real: In North America, CX scores remained stable even as traffic fluctuated, peaking at 92.5% during Q4. In contrast, European CX scores dipped during summer months before recovering to 92.1% in Q4.
Pain points persist: Price dissatisfaction (24.7%) and checkout process issues (21.3%) ranked as the top global in-store challenges.
Retailers are excelling in service fundamentals: Staff friendliness achieved an impressive 96.4% satisfaction rating, while customer service responsiveness and store cleanliness followed closely behind.
These findings reflect where retail operations are succeeding—and where they must focus attention to close persistent experience gaps.
Industry voices adding depth
This year’s report is strengthened by exclusive insights from respected industry leaders who’s perspectives complement the feedback analysis by adding real-world context to the strategies retailers can act on today:
Shep Hyken emphasizes the importance of service recovery:
“Complaints can be a gift. When a customer has a problem or a complaint, the way the retailer manages the issue can make or break the relationship. Pay attention to what your customers complain about either in person or online and be sure to manage them to show you care and want the customer to return.”
DeAnn Campbell highlights the future of retail innovation:
“Offering CX excellence and an elevated overall shopping experience will become one of the best ways for a retailer to compete. Developing data systems that pull and analyze data through AI, and push data and assist through agentic AI will be an essential tool for the retail industry.”
Grant Gustafson of Sensormatic Solutions, official partner, on the evolving retail landscape:
“By proactively navigating complexities, retailers can implement strategies that not only mitigate risks but also enhance pricing and inventory management. In this ever-changing retail environment, those who embrace flexibility and focus on their customers will find paths to profitability and success.”
Turning insights into action
Data alone doesn’t transform customer experience—what matters is how retailers apply it. The 2025 Retail CX Insights Report reveals that brands delivering the strongest CX outcomes are those who act quickly and consistently on real-time feedback.
By using customer signals to fine-tune staffing, identify operational gaps, and prioritize service improvements, retailers are turning everyday insights into long-term competitive advantage. Building this responsiveness into daily operations is no longer optional—it’s essential for maintaining loyalty, protecting revenue, and future-proofing retail success.
Practical takeaways for retail leaders
The 2025 Retail Experience Report goes beyond identifying trends—it offers clear, actionable strategies to help retail leaders drive better outcomes:
- Optimize staffing and service flow based on real customer behavior, matching coverage to peak satisfaction windows to reduce friction and increase conversion.
- Address operational pain points early, such as long checkout times and product availability issues, to protect satisfaction during high-traffic periods.
- Leverage real-time feedback loops to empower frontline teams to make immediate, customer-centric adjustments that improve the experience in the moment.
- Apply peak-season lessons year-round by using Q4 success strategies—agile staffing, streamlined store execution, and proactive service recovery—as a model for ongoing performance improvement.
By operationalizing insights gathered through customer feedback, retailers can not only meet rising customer expectations but turn CX excellence into a sustainable growth strategy.
Get the full report
Ready to explore the trends shaping the future of retail CX?
📥 [Download the 2025 Retail Experience Report]
Learn how retailers are strengthening operations, enhancing customer loyalty, and driving growth with experience-led strategies built for 2025 and beyond.