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Retailers are often ‘ghosting’ customer feedback, new report finds

Numbers Game: The numbers you need to know
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Francis Scialabba

less than 3 min read

Retail news that keeps industry pros in the know

Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.

We all (maybe) have been ghosted by a potential partner, but new data suggests this happens in the retail world too.

An audit of 588 retailers found that brands disregard 54% of questions and feedback on average from online and social platforms, according to marketing tech firm Soci.

  • The report uncovered that 92% of questions posted on retailers’ Google profiles go unanswered.
  • The types of questions are also fairly straightforward, such as “Are you open late on Christmas Eve?” or “Do you sell golf equipment?”

The real gut punch for retailers is that ignoring these questions collectively costs them $2.4 billion in sales per year, according to Soci. The analysis found that multi-location retailers are losing $58,000 in sales per location.

“Retailer ‘ghosting’ is an alarming phenomenon with serious implications for brand reputation, customer loyalty, and online visibility,” Monica Ho, CMO of Soci, said in a statement. “When retailers ignore their customers online, they inadvertently send a message that the customer experience isn’t a priority. It’s akin to retail employees ignoring shoppers in-store, and this type of behavior has a significant impact on revenue and sales.”

On the other hand, Soci found that “responsive, visible retailers” almost double their YoY revenue and see 149% more social media engagement.

Retail news that keeps industry pros in the know

Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.