Abstract:

This paper outlines the current redevelopment programme taking place at Selfridges, a leading destination department store in London, and explains the three-stage approach they have adopted to review existing customer service initiatives: who are the customers? what do they want? how can their expectations be exceeded? The comprehensive and ongoing research programme undertaken to understand customer requirements and how to surpass them is described and findings from the first two stages are presented and reviewed. Researching the opinions of department store customers can be challenging, due to the extremely broad range of situations, needs and experiences. The impact of this diversity on sampling and logistical issues is examined in some detail. The paper concludes with a discussion of the way forward for Selfridges in the light of these findings and describes how the research will be used to guide further developments of the Selfridges brand outside of its traditional base of department store retailing. The importance of maintaining its brand values during this expansion process is also discussed.