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Better customer service levels needed
Page 49
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THE RETAIL MARKET took a pasting In February as the Synovate Retail Traffic Index showed a 3.4% drop on the same month in 2008, but it still stayed out of what retail analysts call the "-4% drop zone", which spells long-term danger. However, the February figures may have been suppressed by heavy snow, and food markets are still looking stronger than non-food.
Interestingly, the think-tank has highlighted the need for retailers to have stronger relationships with suppliers, and that high levels of customer service may be a more decisive factor in consumer decision-making. These are both points for the transport industry to dwell on, with logistics firms increasingly handling order fulfilment, returns and home deliveries and, therefore, playing a much stronger role as the retailer's interface with the customer.