Retailers Look to Mystery Shopping to Sharpen Their Competitive Edge

Retailers are increasingly turning to mystery shopping to give them a commercial advantage over their competitors.

Tough market conditions world-wide mean retailers are having to fight for every pound – and the standard of customer service is a vital ingredient in winning and holding on to business.

Mystery shoppers give businesses essential feedback on the performance of their staff and collect other important market related information.

Julian Chamberlain, the managing director of the Britains’ leading Mystery Shopping company, Retail Active, says there has been a dramatic increase in approaches from national and international brands looking for help in improving their levels of customer service.

Julian Chamberlain said: “More and more companies are turning to Retail Active for advice on how to improve their customer advocacy. Clearly, the importance of customer service has an increased relevance in the current market and big household names are taking it very seriously indeed.

“Good customer service can hold the key to a company’s success or even survival in these trying times.

“Our experienced mystery shoppers give rapid and accurate assessments of customer service and produce reports which can be acted upon within 48 hours.

“Understanding customers and their needs has never been more important, in a market where they hold the upper hand.”

Retail Active has major clients in the automotive, retail, leisure, food and drink and public service sectors.

Fraudsters Target Mystery Shoppers - Here's How to Spot the Scams

Britain’s “Undercover army” of Mystery Shoppers is being targeted by fraudsters, who are trying to cash in on this increasingly popular part-time activity.

Thousands of people, who want to earn valuable extra income by monitoring customer service standards in retail businesses and public organisations across the country, risk falling prey to a series of scams by bogus companies.

The internet-based tricksters ask would-be mystery shoppers to carry out assignments and then demand an “advance fee” or a registration charge.

The advance fee scam promises to fund the undercover assignment in advance, with a money order which comes to more than the cost of carrying out the work. The shopper is then asked to send the surplus money back to the company – only to discover the money order isn’t valid.

Other scams involve an up-front registration fee. Potential victims are targeted by huge volumes of unsolicited emails on random lists.

The fraudsters have angered genuine Mystery Shopping companies, like Oxford-based Retail Active, which has a wide variety of clients in the Automotive, Food and Drink, Government, Hotels, Leisure, Retail and Travel sectors.

The company gets dozens of calls a week from people worried that they have been duped – or are about to be.

Elizabeth Mallah, from Hampton, Middx fell for one of the scams after she responded to an unsolicited request from a bogus company on Facebook.

It asked for a £34 registration fee, with a money back guarantee if she didn’t enjoy mystery shopping.

Elizabeth said: “The total bill finally came to £40, with extra money included for “currency exchange.” All they sent me was a list of mystery shopping companies – which I could have got for myself for nothing on the internet.

“I’ve been asking for my money back – but they haven’t responded to any of my requests.

“It is a scam and should be exposed.”

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain says: “This time last year there were virtually no calls like this – now we are getting up to four a day. Many of the on-line scams are offering people unrealistic prospects – at a cost.

“We have also received reports of people being asked for personal details, which are then sold off to use on marketing lists – or for other uses.

“No reputable Mystery Shopping company would ever ask for money – so that is the first way to establish whether a company is genuine or not.

“Mystery Shopping is becoming increasingly popular and provides a valuable service to industry and a very welcome source of part-time income for thousands of people, especially at a time when cash may be tight.

“We are very angry that fraudsters are trying to exploit people who genuinely want to help improve levels of customer service – and earn some much-needed extra income as well.

“We’ve drawn up a five point guide to help mystery shoppers avoid being conned.

1. Do not apply to be a mystery shopper through a list, club or agency. Always apply directly to mystery shopping companies.

2. All reputable mystery shopping provide online training as part of the application process. If there is no training then the likelihood is that you are being conned.

3. If in doubt phone. All genuine mystery shopping companies such as Retail Active advertise their telephone number and can be contacted directly.

4. Never, ever part with cash in advance. If you do then there is a high probability that you are being defrauded.

5. There are hundreds of thousands of active mystery shoppers in the UK, ask a friend if they are a mystery shopper. The chances are that they are or at least know someone that does. Ask them who the best mystery shopping companies are.

If in doubt register with mystery shopping company Retail Active at www.retailactive.com.

Children Gorge Up To 13 Easter Eggs Each

Ten to fourteen year olds will munch their way through an average of more than of two and a half kilos of chocolate each over the Easter Holiday, taking in nearly 13000 calories and 650 grams of fat – according to new research.

The survey, by the mystery shopping and business intelligence specialists, Retail Active, says a typical 200gm Easter egg has 990 calories and 50 grams of fat – and youngsters eat an average of 13 of them – many in a chocolate-fuelled orgy first thing on Easter Sunday.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “We polled a sample of 2000 people and discovered that youngsters can receive as many as 13 Easter eggs each. Families with two adults in their forties and two children under 14 could have an amazing cumulative total of 30 Easter eggs in the household over the holiday.

“Seventy seven per cent of adults allow their children to tuck into their Easter egg binge first thing on Easter morning – before having any breakfast or even a drink.

“Only three per cent of the people polled said they look at the nutritional content of Easter eggs and this means that they may be unaware of the huge calorie and fat intake. The typical ten to fourteen year old will eat 2.6 kilos of chocolate, that’s 12,870 calories and 650 grams of fat.

“Seventy four per cent of parents and carers said their children eat at least three quarters of all the chocolate they receive before the end of the bank holiday.

“Only 26 per cent said they ration the chocolate over a longer period.

“Easter has a dramatic effect on dieters too – with seventy per cent saying they will suspend their regime to enjoy the seasonal chocolate fest.”

According to the findings the peak age for Easter eggs consumption is 10 to 14, with youngsters consuming an average of 13 each. Next is the 15 to 19 age group, weighing in with 11 each.

The 40 to 59 year olds and the over 75’s have the lowest consumption with an average of just one.

The poll discovered that just over half of adults treat Easter in a similar way to Christmas.
Julian Chamberlain said: “It’s a big family occasion, with the Easter Bunny playing a central role in the festivities for children of nine and under.

“Seven out of ten parents have adopted the American tradition of holding a “hunt the Easter Egg” events for their children.

“An overwhelming 88 per cent of consumers said attractive packaging was more important than nutritional content – even though they were aware that eating chocolate to excess may be bad for them.”

Cuddles Top Gift on Mother's Day

FORGET flashy presents and glamorous gifts. All mums really want on Mother's Day is a hug, a survey has found.

According to the poll, carried out by mystery shopping company Retail Active, nine out of ten mothers said all they wanted was a good old-fashioned hug.

Second favourite was a card, with eight out of ten getting one on the day.

And for mothers with young children, a home-made card rated more highly than a bought one.

The poll found flowers were the top gift to mums on their special day, with 42 per cent of men and 36 per cent of women planning to give flowers today.

The average amount spent on Mother's Day gifts is £14.85 according to the survey, with sons being more generous than daughters.

Glaswegians came out as the least extravagant, while Essex mums were the most spoilt with an average of £22.35 being spent on them.

Men were found to be twice as likely to take their mother out to lunch than women.

The poll, which saw Retail Active survey 2,000 people last week, named actress Joanna Lumley as Britain's most ideal mother – other than people's own mum.

Managing director Julian Chamberlain said: "We were very surprised by this heart-warming result that what the majority of mums, 92 per cent, really want is just a simple hug and a big thank you.

"More than a third of those polled, 66 per cent, said they thought mother's day had become over-commercialised, with men in particular believing the day had been hijacked by commercial interests.

"The majority of men, 63 per cent, said they spend more on their mum than on their Valentine sweetheart."

Most Mother's Day gifts and cards are bought online (35 per cent), followed by 24 per cent at supermarkets, 24 per cent in the high street and 13 per cent from garage forecourts.

Things that got the thumbs down for Mother's Day included cards arriving late, phone calls late in the day, last-minute gifts obviously bought from a garage and family arguments.

Say It With A Hug

You may have bought an extravagant gift for your mother today, but all she really wants is a big cuddle.

According to a poll, nine in ten say a simple hug will make their Mother’s Day. Second favourite to keep her sweet is a card – with those home-made by young children being the best.

The survey of 2,000 people found that, overall, sons are more generous than daughters when it comes to gifts.

Men spend more on their mothers than they do on their lovers for Valentine’s Day. They are also twice as likely to take their mother out to lunch than women.

Flowers were the top gift to mothers, with 42 per cent of men and 36 per cent of women giving bouquets. The average amount spent on presents was £14.85.

Glaswegians were the least extravagant, while Essex mothers were the most spoilt with an average of £22.35 spent on them.

Those polled by mystery shopping firm Retail Active named actress Joanna Lumley as Britain’s most ideal mother – other than their own.

Retail Active managing director Julian Chamberlain said the poll results were ‘heart-warming’, adding: ‘From the mums’ point of view, a demonstration of affection and family unity are the most important things.’

It's Bananas – City-Living Single Men Top the Food Waste Table

The banana is the nation’s favourite throwaway food – and young single men have been identified as the biggest culprits for food wastage – according to a new survey.

Fruit, salad and veg are the most wasted items with the banana skidding into top place – closely followed by fresh milk.

And single men, aged between 25 and 35, living in cities, waste food worth an average of £17.43 a month.

People living in cities generally wasted the most food.


The poll, by Britain’s leading business intelligence company, Retail Active, says the South East of England has the highest food waste tally, second is the North West and the area with the least wastage is Scotland.

It says a family of four throws away an average of £15.70 worth of food every month.

People aged over 57 are the least wasteful, throwing away an average of just £3.36 per month.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “The amount of food we waste is a serious issue. Our survey helps to pinpoint who are the worst offenders, the most considerate and the most wasted items. The poor old banana came top.

“Fresh meat and uneaten prepared food are also high on the wastage list. Tinned food is the least wasted.

“We used our vast database to conduct a poll of a representative sample of 2000 people and it gives us some fascinating insights.

“Nearly three quarters of the responders said they believed their food waste had little or no consequence for the environment.

“Forty per cent actually think food waste is good for the economy – because it keeps production moving.

“Seventy seven per cent said they do not consider the impact on the global environment when buying food.”

The main reasons for food waste were identified as poor planning, busy lifestyles, bad habits, laziness and too large portion sizes for both ready to eat and prepared food.

Only six per cent of the purchasers polled checked sell-by dates – but of those that did, the vast majority, 92 per cent, chose food from the rear of the shelf to get maximum food freshness.

Razor-sharp Shoppers Give Stores a Customer Service Time Bomb

A new survey says the recession has sharpened consumer’s demands for better customer service and retailers who haven’t learned lessons could lose out in the recovery. It’s a customer service time bomb for stores which fail to shape up.

The survey says poor service could cost High Street stores millions of pounds and drive customers away for ever.

Research by Retail Active, Britain’s leading mystery shopping company, says a record number of British consumers are now prepared to complain about poor service.

Seventy one per cent of shoppers say they wouldn’t suffer shoddy service in silence – the highest figure ever recorded.

More than half the shoppers surveyed believe customer service has declined in the past year. Eight out of ten wouldn’t shop again at stores giving poor service.

Almost as many said they would spend more on products at stores with good service and more than a quarter said they complain more than they did before the start of the credit crunch.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Stores will be having to deal with a customer service time bomb.

“The recession has sharpened customers’ demands and more than ever before – seven out of ten - say they are prepared to complain about poor service.

Retail Active has identified several types of shopper who can damage businesses if they are not happy.

“The most dangerous for stores is the “Silent but Deadly” type, says Julian Chamberlain.

“According to our research, nearly a third of customers never complain at all – but they never go back either. And what is worse for retailers, they tell on average nine other people about their dissatisfaction.

“If the average customer value is £100 – that means every silent complaint costs a company at least £900. These figures are confirmed by the Office of Fair Trading, which puts a figure of £935 on the cost of each complaint.

“On the positive side customers who do complain and have their complaint well handled, tell on average 12 people about the great service they received. There is a distinct commercial advantage in good customer service.

“With internet sales booming – online companies are just waiting to welcome customers disillusioned with the High Street.

“This is really a crunch year for retailers, those who haven’t learned lessons from the credit crunch could lose out. Our survey shows that customer service will be the vital ingredient in deciding whether customers stay for next year – or desert in droves.”

Retail Active is one of the UK’s leading Customer Intelligence and Mystery Shopping companies. It sends out thousands of agents every year to monitor customer service standards for a wide variety of clients in the retail, leisure, automotive and travel sectors.