"From food to footwear, this diverse non-durable category received the highest perceived quality marks from customers of any segment tracked by ACSI," said Jack West, spokesperson for the American Society for Quality and author of the Quarterly Quality Report. "The research indicates that these high marks may be the result of the intense competition for these industries in both price and innovation. These companies understand that the cost to the consumer for switching is low."
The ASQ Quarterly Quality Report examines one of the most critical components of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), also released today: perceived quality of the goods and services measured by the ACSI. This quarter’s Quality Report focuses on customers’ perceived quality of the goods and services provided in manufacturing non-durables: food and beverage, pet food and cigarettes as well as apparel, athletic shoes and personal care/cleaning products. The ACSI reports on different sectors each quarter. The ACSI is produced by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in partnership with the American Society for Quality and CFI Group, with e-commerce sponsor ForeSee Results.
Food & Beverages
Sara Lee Rises To Top Ranks While Freshness Falls
There’s a bright story with Sara Lee which had the biggest gain of 4.6 percent in perceived quality this quarter. For the first time, this vaults the purveyor of baked goods and deli meats into the top ranks of the food manufacturing category right behind H.J. Heinz, Hershey and General Mills, who are all tied for the top spot.
"Sara Lee’s recipe for improvement has been a combination of major restructuring that included shedding of certain non-core food product lines and the introduction of lean manufacturing processes that have improved employee efficiency in their plants," said West.
Reoccurring reports of E.coli in fresh vegetables and fear of contaminated poultry have made consumers wary contributing to a relatively low perceived quality score for major industry brands such as Dole Food Company and Tyson Foods. West notes "scores for Tyson and Dole continue to lag. Both offer products that are sold fresh and unfortunately those products from time to time break into the news with contamination outbreaks."
Pepsi Leads In Soda Wars
Soft drinks continue to be a consumer favorite as evidenced by the fact that beverages lead the quality index this quarter with an overall score of 91. The soda wars continue as Pepsi takes a slight perceived quality lead over Coca-Cola – a reverse of last year’s results at this time. This lead may be a result of Pepsi’s ability to quickly tap into America’s growing obsession with obesity by focusing on diet sodas and bottled water. Coca-Cola derives about 85 percent of its worldwide profit from carbonated beverages which are perceived to be less healthy options.
Athletic Footwear
The continuing rivalry between footwear giants Reebok and Nike takes an interesting turn this quarter as Reebok sprints firmly ahead in perceived quality with a 2.4 percent gain, coupled with a similar quality drop by Nike. This decline may be due in part to a lower perceived value of Nike in comparison to Reebok.
"Last year’s acquisition of Reebok by Adidas set the stage for a new level of competition and the challenge was for them to maintain quality while going toe-to-toe with Nike," said West. "This quarter's perceived value and loyalty scores are showing that consumers feel like they are getting more for their money right now with Reebok."
About the Quarterly Quality Report
ASQ’s Quarterly Quality Report is an analysis of customers' perceptions of the quality and reliability of products and services. It is based on data generated by the nation's leading measure of customer satisfaction, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). To view the entire Quarterly Quality Report, visit http://www.asq.org/quality-report/
About the ACSI
The American Customer Satisfaction Index is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States. The index is produced by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in partnership with the American Society for Quality and CFI Group, and is supported in part by ForeSee Results, corporate sponsor for the e-commerce and e-business measurements, and by Market Strategies Inc., a major corporate contributor.
About the American Society for Quality
The American Society for Quality is the world’s leading authority on quality. With more than 90,000 individual and organizational members, the professional association advances learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange to improve business results and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools, and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners, and everyday consumers, encouraging all to Make Good Great. For more information, visit www.asq.org.
