By the Stats: Consumer Expectations Increase for the 10th Straight Year

The level of consumer expectation across 35 brand categories has risen by 4.5 percent from 2005, while the average ability of brands to keep up with those expectations has dropped by 9.2 percent, according to the “2006 Customer Loyalty Index,” a yearly report by customer loyalty consultancy Brand Keys. This is the 10th straight year consumer expectations have increased, according to the survey.

The survey assigned an index number to each company based on the results of a survey of about 16,000 consumers. The index score reflects how well a brand delivers on the expectations of its most loyal consumers. Some of the most highly ranked companies included:

* L.L. Bean, with a score of 126, up from 117 in 2005;

* Lands’ End, 122, up from 113 in 2005;

* Amazon.com, 119, unchanged from 2005; and

* Sears, 116, up from 114 in 2005.

Source: 2006 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Index, http://www.brandkeys.com/news/press/052206BW-CLI06.pdf