A Study On The Mapping Of The Shopping Environment In An Estonian Retail Company

Intensifying economic and global competition in the retail sector in Estonia, coupled with technological advancements, is driving the growth of e-commerce, thereby posing significant challenges for traditional retail businesses. Many retailers are closing stores, reducing staff, and liquidating inventories, forcing them to decide how to survive, compete, and thrive in this dynamic environment. A critical prerequisite for success is obtaining a detailed understanding of customers' needs and their shopping experiences. Insight into the experiences and expectations of informed customers enables retailers to develop a proactive customer experience management strategy, ensuring that every interaction consistently meets or exceeds customer expectations. This turbulent environment necessitates investment in improving the shopping environment with a strong focus on customer experience. To address this need, a customer experience mapping study was conducted within an Estonian retail enterprise. The study examined loyal customers’ evaluations and shopping experiences (n=2267) across various store formats and key focus areas, including the overall shopping environment, in-store layout, customer service, promotional campaigns, and five product categories. The highest ratings were assigned to customer service, while promotional campaigns received the lowest evaluations. Furthermore, the study determined the company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), which was calculated as 48. While this score is below the global retail industry average (NPS = 64, according to the 2024 NPS Benchmark), it is relatively high compared to Estonian competitors.