John Lewis ‘most wanted’ retailer

Department store chain John Lewis and value retailer Primark have ranked as the top two retailers that consumers would most like to see open in their preferred shopping location, according to new research commissioned by e-commerce specialist

Webloyalty.

The research, which asked consumers who their most desired retailers were, revealed that John Lewis was the most popular brand with 21.4 percent of respondents wanting a branch to open in their shopping area. This was closely followed by value retailer Primark with 18.3 percent.

Complied by retail research specialists Conlumino, they found that John Lewis and Primark were the same in almost all regions of the UK, with the department store taking the top spot in regions including London, Anglia, Scotland, Wales, and South East, while the budget fashion chain was more popular in the North West, East Midlands and the North East.

John Lewis and Primark rank top of consumers’ most desired retailers

The top five retailers in each region were similar and also featured other fashion retail brands including Debenhams, H&M, House of Fraser, Zara, Next and Harvey Nichols. With Debenhams being the only retailer to break John Lewis and Primark’s stranglehold on the top ranked position, with Northern Ireland crowning the chain its most desired retailer.

There were however some interesting variations, for instance consumers in Anglia want more Cath Kidston prints, while the East Midlands, North East and North West want Abercrombie & Fitch, and consumers in Scotland and Yorkshire were keen to get their hands on Victoria’s Secret underwear.

Commenting on the research, Guy Chiswick, Managing Director of Webloyalty UK, said: “John Lewis and Primark are British success stories, giving consumers what they want. The findings are clear that both value-focused and more aspirational high-end retailers are in demand. It is those that sit in the middle, such as Marks & Spencer, which are struggling for relevance.”

Neil Saunders of Conlumino added: “In today’s fragmented consumer society, retailers cannot be all things to all men. To be successful, retailers need to build a clear individual identity, targeting specific, discrete groups of consumers, through carefully selected and edited product lines.”