Don't slip up and give slipper - They're the nations worst present

Slippers are Britain’s worst Christmas present – according to a panel of shopping experts.
Slippers came in at number one in a top ten list of gifts to avoid.

The business intelligence and mystery shopping company Retail Active asked 1300 people from its consumer panel to name their least popular presents.

Slippers were closely followed by Iron or Ironing Board and incorrectly sized underwear.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Even if your partner has saying they need a new pair of slippers all year, Christmas is not the time to treat them.

“With wrong sized underwear, if it is too big or too small, you are in big trouble either way.”

The list of the UK’s Top Worst Christmas presents is:-
1. Slippers
2. Iron or ironing board – or both
3. Incorrectly sized underwear
4. Cheap perfume
5. Tool box
6. Bubble bath or bath salts
7. Nose trimmer
8. Kitchen untensils
9. Christmas sweater
10. Cleaning supplies

Retail Active research featured in top rated ITV programme

Retail Active has been working with ITV’s top rated “Tonight” programme, which investigated consumer spending in the run up to Christmas 2010.

The programme, “Christmas or Bust”, reached a prime time audience of more than four million and looked at how Christmas shoppers were responding to economic uncertainty.

Retail Active carried out a special survey and the results were featured prominently in the programme.

Retail Active also helped the producers to find a couple who had decided times were so tough – they were going to cancel Christmas altogether this year.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “We were able to help the programme makers with our expertise and with the use of our considerable resources, which allows us to contact thousands of shoppers instantly.

“The results of our poll, gave precise details of ways in which families were planning to economise on their Christmas spending.

“The findings were fully supported in the programme by financial experts, retailers and shoppers. This shows the accuracy of our research methods in generating a true picture of what is happening in the economy at any given moment and in determining the attitude of shoppers.

“Our experience as one of the UK’s leading business intelligence and mystery shopping companies was able to put the producers in touch with the mood on the High Street and produce figures, which could be used confidently in this prime time programme.

“Thanks to our survey, we were also able to find a Scottish couple who had cancelled their Christmas because of job uncertainty and who gave an excellent interview.”

Christmas Shoppers plan their own spending cuts for a reduced-price Christmas

Christmas shoppers are planning their own spending cuts this Christmas in defiance of the Bank of England’s plea to “Spend, spend, spend” to boost the economy.

A survey by the business intelligence analysts Retail Active found that four out of ten shoppers say they plan to spend less or much less on Christmas than last year.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “We asked 2000 people for details of their Christmas shopping plans and 1394 responded.

Just over half (51%) said the uncertain state of the economy made them worried about spending money on Christmas.

“Families say they plan to save on Christmas spending this year, wherever possible – with more than nine out of ten saying they are going to spend under their limits this Christmas.

“Times are tight and our survey shows that people are resorting to selling belongings to raise cash, dipping into savings and using credit cards for Christmas purchases.

“Competition on the High Street is vicious and there is firm evidence that retailers are bringing forward their January sale prices now in an attempt to encourage shoppers to spend and beat the January increase in VAT.

“The high street is highly price sensitive with retailers under pressure to achieve revenue forecasts during the “golden quarter.”

“The fact that more than a third of shoppers surveyed reported that they had already completed ninety five per cent of their Christmas shopping before the end of November is an ill omen for high street retailers hoping for a late surge in spending.”

"Last Minute Man" is a Christmas gift to retailers

Christmas store staff have been specially trained to cash in on the panic-stricken Christmas Eve shopper – known as “Last Minute Man”.

He’s the hapless male who hasn’t bought a present for his wife or girlfriend and he’s left until the final minutes to find one.

Last Minute Man has been identified in a survey of Christmas shopping types by the leading Business Intelligence company, Retail Active.

The company says it has been called in to coach staff at leading retailers on how to spot him and make sure he buys something.

Julian Chamberlain, Retail Active’s managing director said: “Last Minute Man is a salesperson’s dream – he’s cash rich and time poor. He does his desperate shopping in the final hours of Christmas Eve, when there is poor stock availability and he ends up buying expensive and unwanted gifts.

“It is what’s known as a “distress purchase”, when all rationality goes out of the window.

“We have been coaching staff on the jewellery counters of a major retail chain on how to spot him and make sure he doesn’t get away without a sale.

“They have to look for a man looking through a wide variety of stock, not knowing what to buy and wearing a blank expression.

“He’s got money but no time and he will end up spending more than he has to.

“We train staff to be extra helpful, offer him a choice of gifts, make a recommendation and then close the sale. He represents an ideal sales opportunity.

“Figures show a substantial uplift in the sales of expensive items in the last couple of hours – with many purchases up to £1000.

“Our survey shows that men,(56%) were more likely than women, (34%), to wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping.

“Of those men 1% even do their shopping in 24 hour petrol stations in the early hours of Christmas Day

“This is in stark contrast to women, who conduct an average of four outings before completing their present shopping, proving that we still revert to traditional roles, where man is the hunter and women are the gatherers.

“Last Minute Man has no list and browses haplessly from aisle to aisle before going in for the kill with a credit card.

“Often the presents are ill thought out, over expensive and with one in three being taken back for refunds in the New Year.

“Last Minute Man spends on average 15 per cent more than he needs to – because all the best value items have been sold.

“Another Last Minute Man trait is that they do “one stop shopping” by buying all their purchases in just one store.

“He shops in isolation, whereas women tend to shop together as a social event, taking in the Christmas spirit.

“Last Minute Man accounts for 63% of the high value items sold on Christmas Eve.”

Retail Active is offering some top tips to avoid being a Last Minute Man.

1. 1. Go shopping earlier
2. 2. Write a list
3. 3. Ask family, friends and partners what they would like
4. 4. Plan a party or a special treat for the time on Christmas Eve when you would normally be shopping.
5. 5. Shop with your wife or partner and reward yourself when you have ticked a target number of presents off your list – but don’t forget to buy that all important gift for your nearest and dearest

The Retail Active Survey says Christmas shoppers fall into distinct types.

The Planner: Already planning next Christmas. Bought this year’s Christmas cards and presents in last year’s sales. Rejoices in delivering a luxury Christmas at a cut price.

Single Party Person: Christmas is all about them. Presents don’t figure highly. Its all about having the right wardrobe and look for the Festive Season. Christmas shops with friends and spends more on themselves than everyone else combined.

Panic Purchaser: Doesn’t know who they will get presents from – so buys for everyone just in case.

Online: Why get cold, wet and tired shopping on the High Street. Christmas comes from hyperspace – just like Santa.

Dad: Has no idea what the presents are but finds out on Christmas morning when the kids unwrap them. Mum does all the shopping – he takes full credit.

Humbug: Gives nothing – gets nothing.

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.

New Account Development Director for Retail Active

The leading business intelligence and mystery shopping company, Retail Active, has appointed a new Account Development Director.

Alasdair Smith, who lives in Northampton, has been in the industry for six years.

He says he is looking forward to helping to attract new business and to maintain Retail Active’s enviable reputation as the UK’s most advanced mystery shopping and brand audit service.

Retail Active’s client list already includes many household names in the retail, leisure, catering and automotive sectors.

Alasdair says: “This is a fantastic opportunity to build on Retail Active’s unrivalled position in the industry and to introduce new clients our services.”

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “This is a pivotal time for retailers and we believe standards of customer service have never been more important.

“We are delighted to welcome Alasdair to the company. His wealth of experience will help us to make many more businesses aware that we are the first choice for mystery shopping and brand auditing.”

High Street retailers may feel a chill as Christmas shoppers plan their own spending cuts

Christmas shoppers are planning their own spending cuts this Christmas - tarnishing retailers’ hopes of a prosperous “Golden Quarter” – according to new research.

Four out of ten shoppers say they plan to spend less or much less on Christmas than last year – the survey says.

More than a third have already almost completed their Christmas shopping.

An astonishing eight out of ten shoppers said they would walk out of a high street store if customer service doesn’t come up to scratch.

And there is a gloomy forecast for January sales, when New Year VAT increases begin to bite.

The survey, by business intelligence analysts and mystery shopping company, Retail Active asked 2000 people for details of their Christmas shopping plans.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Families say they plan to save on Christmas spending this year, wherever possible – with more than nine out of ten saying they are going to spend under their limits this Christmas.

“Times are tight and our survey shows that people are resorting to selling belongings to raise cash, dipping into savings and buying on credit.

“Competition on the High Street is vicious and there is firm evidence that retailers are bringing forward their January sale prices now in an attempt to encourage shoppers to spend and beat the January increase in VAT.

“The high street is highly price sensitive with retailers under pressure to achieve revenue forecasts during the “golden quarter.”

“The fact that more than a third of shoppers surveyed reported that they had already completed ninety five per cent of their Christmas shopping is an ill omen for high street retailers hoping for a late surge in spending.”

Eighty-seven per cent of shoppers said they would walk out of shops where customer service fell below expectations.

Julian Chamberlain said: “We send thousands of mystery shoppers to test the service and brand delivery of high street brands up and down the land.

“Customers are just not prepared to put up with poor service unless they have to make a distress purchase.
“There is everything to go for over the next few weeks and it’s still not too late to make a real difference to store performance.

We are offering retailers a five point plan to help them capitalise on the trade that is still out there and to maximise sales.


1 Front line is Bottom Line – focus on ensuring that your staff are motivated to give attentive and speedy service.
2 Are your staff up selling? Look for the opportunity to sell, Even up to the point of paying, customers still want to buy and are at their weakest when at the checkout
3 Perception is reality! create an experience that customers remember and want to revisit – consider how you will get customers back to buy again before Christmas
4 Price is important but service is critical – What can you do to ensure your brand delivery flawless
5 Provide focused training for your team and have systems in place to monitor service delivery and quality

What's in store - Audit helps Moto get fit for the weekend

The motorway service operator Moto says an audit programme with the leading Mystery Shopping Company Retail Active to monitor stock availability during its peak summer trading period was a great success.

Moto, which has 43 sites, is one of the most recognisable brands on the UK motorway network

The audit programme named ‘Fit for The Weekend’, ran from Easter to the August bank holiday aimed to ensure that retail shelves were correctly stocked and brand standards were maintained.

Retail Active was asked to monitor Moto’s estate and to produce instant audit reports for their various branded retail offers.

Moto’s head or retail category management, Ed Sutton, hailed the exercise as a success.

He said: “It helped us as a business to protect the availability of our products at key trading times. The aim was to make sure the shelves were correctly stocked and to monitor changing displays, promotions and standards.

“If you haven’t got central stock figures daily or hourly, the only measure is to physically go in somewhere and have a look – then you have to wait for a stock statement.

“Using Retail Active saved hours of management time. We went from the not knowing - to the knowing about what was happening on the ground.

“Did our standards improve during the audit? Yes they did. We started in the red and moved into the black and pretty much stayed there.

“This is definitely something we want to continue.

“Retail Active are a great, positive, professional auditing company who deliver what they agree to do. You have only got to look at their client base to understand why.

“We operate in quite a unique sector and they adapted well to that. They came into a business like Moto and adapted themselves to work how we wanted them to work.

“The project was delivered to the brief.”

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Our speciality is the speed with which we report back to management, which means they can respond instantly to any issues, which arise.

“We were able to rapidly text scores back to senior managers so they can react to information as it happens.

“We announce our presence to staff and if anything is not up to standard we record it and encourage them to get it right while we are there. We are not out to apportion blame – simply to maintain and improve standards. Our aim is to ensure that the business is fit to trade effectively during busy periods.

“Our expertise means we can deliver fast, accurate information – which allows executives to understand the situation in real time in dozens of outlets – while saving hours of management time and costs.”

Your brand is a major asset - Make sure it stays consistant

A strong brand image is one of every successful company’s major assets – which makes maintaining its consistency across widespread outlets absolutely vital.

Brand Auditing is an established technique, giving senior management the ability to monitor the way in which the brand is being represented throughout the organisation.

It is a process of checking operational compliance of brand facilities, standards, procedures and policies.

The business intelligence and mystery shopping company, Retail Active, is one of the UK’s leading practitioners of brand auditing, with a vast experience of helping to maintain brand consistency for a wide variety of household- name brands.

Managing director, Julian Chamberlain says: “The idea for brand auditing came from the clients themselves. They wanted to ensure a consistent operational standard across multi-unit operations, to deliver flawless execution of the brand.

“Brand auditing creates a regular, structured process to identify compliance and non-compliance of brand essentials.”

This involves visiting entire chains in the space of only a few weeks to give a “State of the Nation” report on the execution of the brand.

It saves hours of wasted management time, resources and overheads and produces web-based data, with photographs, which can be views 24/7.

The brand auditors provide detailed and structured feedback to managers, giving assistance and expert advice, where necessary.

Julian Chamberlain says: “It is an excellent method of protecting capital investments, correcting any non-approved practices and maintaining the fabric of the business.

“However, depending on the brand, it only works effectively as part of an ongoing measurement programme.”

Brand auditing involves a regular monthly or quarterly structured audit operation – which is normally unannounced and which checks compliance against a pre determined and agreed criteria. Each non-compliance is fully recorded and backed up with evidence. It is recorded on a 24/7 reporting system – providing instant visibility of the brand delivery and performance. This approach if frequently used in conjunction with a mystery shopping programme.

Julian Chamberlain says: “Each programme is developed on a bespoke basis, to meet clients specific requirements – but the underlying process remains the same.

“The most common pitfall is to use the brand audit process to penalise unit managers.

“It should really be used in a more strategic way to uplift the performance of the brand, share information on best practice and reward great performance”.

Live the high life in top hotels - and get paid for it

Fancy staying in some of Europe’s top hotels and getting paid for it?

A top UK Mystery Shopping Company, Retail Active, is looking for people to work undercover to assess levels of service in a luxury hotel chain – with hotels in Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Knightsbridge and Park Lane.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “This is the ideal opportunity for ordinary people to experience the High Life in one of the world’s finest hotel chains.
“You will be welcomed just like any other guest – but you will be secretly making notes on your treatment.

“It means you will rub shoulders with the rich and famous, be pampered, enjoy first class meals and wines – and be paid for it as well.

“All we ask is for an accurate and reliable report, which will provide inside information for the management on the standards of service.

“You will have a great time and help to improve customer service.”

Retail Active is one of the UK’s leading Mystery Shopping and Brand Audit companies.
It has prestige partners in the Automotive, Food and Drink, Government, Hotels, Leisure, Retail and Travel sectors.

The company, which is based in Oxford, sends out thousands agents, employing award-winning business methods to monitor standards and help companies maintain and improve their customer service.

Keep your brand strong without wasting valuable management time

A strong brand image is the key to the success for any company – which makes maintaining its consistency across widespread outlets absolutely vital.

However, according the leading business intelligence and mystery shopping company, Retail Active, too many senior managers are spending valuable time monitoring brand compliance at the expense of developing other aspects of the business.

Brand Auditing is an established technique, giving senior management the ability to monitor the way in which the brand is being represented throughout the organisation.

It puts the detailed process of brand management in the hands of professionals who will pick up and report back on non-compliance or erosion of standards in a totally transparent way.

It is a method of checking operational compliance of brand facilities, standards, procedures and policies, offering a failsafe way to put things right – once they have been identified.

The business intelligence and mystery shopping company, Retail Active, is one of the UK’s leading practitioners of brand auditing, with a vast experience of helping to maintain brand consistency for a wide variety of both globally recognised and local brands. They claim to help save thousands of hours of wasted management time by providing a brand audit solution that not only identifies non compliance but more importantly becomes the catalyst to rectifying poor performance.

Managing director, Julian Chamberlain says: “It is the perfect solution for retailers with multiple outlets, where consistency is essential.

“Our research in the industry has revealed that hundreds of hours of valuable management time is being wasted monitoring brand consistency, when there is a perfectly viable alternative, which would save money and free up managers.

“The push for brand auditing came from the clients themselves. They wanted to ensure a consistent operational standard across multi-unit operations, to deliver flawless execution of the brand.

“Brand auditing creates a regular, structured process to identify compliance and non-compliance of brand essentials.”

This involves visiting entire chains in the space of only a few weeks to give a “State of the Nation” report on the execution of the brand.

It saves hours of wasted management time, resources and overheads and produces evidenced web-based data. Crucially the system is designed to help resolve issues in simple cost effective ways.

In addition the brand auditors provide detailed and structured feedback to managers, giving assistance and expert advice, where necessary.

The Retail Active system is so sophisticated that it not only recognises poor brand delivery, it acts as the core solution to improve performance, saving hundreds of hours of wasted management time. The system tracks accountability and places automated orders, delivering training and acting as the central communications point for brand equity measurement.

Julian Chamberlain says: “It is an excellent method of protecting capital investments, correcting any non-approved practices and maintaining the fabric of the business.

Brand auditing involves a regular monthly or quarterly structured audit operation – which is normally unannounced and checks compliance against a pre determined and agreed criteria. Each non-compliance is fully recorded and backed up with evidence. It is recorded on a 24/7 reporting system – providing instant visibility of the brand delivery and performance. This approach if frequently used in conjunction with a mystery shopping programme.

Julian Chamberlain says: “Each programme is developed on a bespoke basis, to meet clients specific requirements – but the underlying process remains the same.

“The most common pitfall is to use the brand audit process to penalise unit managers."

“It should really be used in a more strategic way to uplift the performance of the brand, share information on best practice and reward great performance”.

Retail Active’s top five benefits of a Brand Audit programme are:

1. Management and staff quickly develop the culture of caring for the facilities and brand as if it were their own
2. Every programme is unique to the client and rapidly eliminates brand inconsistency
3. Provides a visual check of the brand 24.7, underpinned with complete management accountability
4. Nothing is left to chance, there is no room to ignore the programme – it measures compliance, recommends solutions and tracks accountability through to resolution
5. The brand wins, Customers win

Beating the Americans at their own game with customer service training

The Americans have a world-wide reputation for customer service – but they are lapping up a British-made board game – which helps to train staff.

The game – called Gamethingy – aims to make business training a pleasure and it is claimed that by making learning fun – memory retention can be improved by 70 per cent.

Gamethingy is the creation of Oxford-based Business Intelligence specialists and Mystery Shopping Company, Retail Active.

It teaches teams of players serious business realities in a light hearted and enjoyable way.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain says: “It is very popular in the USA, where we have excellent sales. We sell to a wide variety of countries – including Russia – where it is also a big hit.

“The Americans have a well-deserved reputation for excellent customer service – but our British-made game is teaching them a thing or two about learning the art.”

“Gamethingy packages critical business information and re-presents it in a non-threatening way. Using business training games as part of your training and development programme tackles the most difficult training and development topics and present the content in a fun and enjoyable way.

All of the business training games come with simple instructions allowing trainees to start playing within minutes.

They are available in a variety of subjects

Health and Safety Training Games can be used to support in-house health and safety training and development programmes. Play the business training games regularly to confirm understanding of key topics e.g. manual handling, fire safety.

First Aid Training Games support first aid training and development programmes and . check trainees understanding of the key principles of first aid. The first aid training games are a great way to prepare first aiders to carry out their important role.

Hygiene Training Games support the training and development of care workers in care homes. MRSA is a hot topic, confirm that your teams are aware of why hygiene is important and the consequences of poor hygiene.

Customer Service Training Games deliver customer care training and development programmes or can be used as a stand-alone programme. They stimulate debate and encourage trainees to improve their customer service skills. Trainees also explore ways in which they can maximise sales opportunities within the business.

Food Safety Training Games covert all food safety training and development programmes. Prepare trainees for their food safety certificate in a fun and non-threatening way.

Julian Chamberlain added: “In a recent survey of the worlds top 500 companies 135 intend to adopt business training games for learning.

“The USA, UK and Germany are leading the way with the use of business training games to support their training and development programmes.

“Business training games help people gain a deeper understanding of their subject and the challenges they face. There is little doubt that business training games are serious training tools.”

Glass Shape Can Make People Drink More

By Lesley Foottit

The shape of the glass people drink from can cause them to pour and consumer more than they think, according to a new report.


Business intelligence and mystery shopping company Retail Active found that drinkers poured up to 80% more into a short wide glass than a tall slender one, although both held the same volume.

A study by leading Oxford University psychologist Professor Charles Spence found that people drink 88% more when consuming drinks from short wide glasses.

In the study even veteran bartenders poured 26% more alcohol into tumblers than highball glasses.

He explained the results as the “vertical-horizontal illusion” in which people focus on heights rather than widths and over-estimate the vertical.

Spence also found that people’s perception and enjoyment of cocktails is affected by the shape of serving glasses. For example, Martini should be served in a flat glass.

Retail Active managing director Julian Chamberlain said it is of particular interest to those who offer self service. “But there are also health implications for alcohol drinkers and there is evidence that even experienced bar staff pour more alcohol into tumblers when estimating a shot of spirits,” he said.

“People who pour their own drinks will be doing the same. Customer behaviour and their response can be greatly influenced by their perception of the way things are served.”

Queues Are Getting Slower Says Europe-Wide Survey

A Europe-wide survey says it now takes twice as long to reach the front of a queue as it did in 2008.

Researchers in 24 countries were asked to join queues in a wide range of businesses and services, including banks, grocery stores, travel ticket offices and fast food outlets.

They reported back on the time taken to reach the front of the queue and the response they got from the member of staff.

Only half of staff could manage a smile when they got there.

The survey was organised by the European branch of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association and resulted in 2000 completed queue report forms – making it the largest survey of its kind.

Comparisons with previous surveys show that, on average, it takes just over ten minutes to reach the front of a queue – twice the time taken in 2008. It is believed this could indicate changes due to the recession could be having a real impact on customer service.

Julian Chamberlain is the managing director of Retail Active, one of Britain’s leading Mystery Shopping companies and an MSPA member.

He says: “This is a fascinating piece of research and demonstrates the value of Mystery Shopping in helping businesses to discover the way in which customers experience shopping in this country and in continental Europe.

“Retail Active’s experience in the UK fully supports the comments of MSPA President, Cristiani Oliveira, that the survey indicates that in difficult times for retailers, lowering standards may be having a detrimental effect on customer service. Mystery shopping is the only way organisations can measure how well or badly customers are being treated.”

The survey found:

• Post offices had the longest queues.
• Post offices had the most dissatisfied customers, closely followed by banks.
• Russia had, on average, the longest and slowest queues
• Only half of the serving staff could manage a smile – but Belgium and Ireland came top of the “Smiles league”.
• Clothing stores came top for best quality of service.
• The Bulgarian Passport Office had the slowest queue – taking six hours to process just 36 customers.

Julian Chamberlain added: “In terms of overall performance the UK came out well.

“Like everywhere else, people are having to spend longer standing in queues – but for satisfaction in the quality of customer service received, we came in the top five, along with Ireland, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.”

Buyers Keep Online Purchases Secret

Buying online is almost like having a secret affair, with more than half of buyers keeping their purchases secret from their partners, new research has revealed.

A survey carried out by retail intelligence analysts and mystery shopping company Retail Active found over the last six months 58% of buyers deliberately kept their online buys secret.

The company, which offers mystery shopping and brand auditing services to businesses, surveyed 3,500 people last week.

It found 40% of online buyers spent their money on personal indulgences.

Out of those who admitted making secret purchases, 78% were from the 35 to 41 age group.

Just over half, 57%, of the group were women, while 47% of the total people surveyed were married.

Retail Active said secret buyers tended to go for smaller items which easily fit through the letter box without having to be signed for or left with neighbours.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: "our findings show that buying online is something people largely do in private - away from their partners.

"The purchases may not always be risque. They could be a surprise gift, flowers, a gadget, or an outrageously expensive item your partner would kill you for buying.

"But our survey revealed a majority of online buyers are employing subterfuge to keep their partners in the dark about their purchases."

Beat Austerity - Get Paid for Shopping and Take Free Holidays

Austerity may be making us count the pounds and pennies – but now there’s a way to shop at premium brand stores - and get paid for it.

And you could even take a luxury holiday, a weekend break or eat at top restaurants – free.

The market-leading mystery shopping research company, Oxford-based, Retail Active is looking for more people to become Mystery Shoppers.

Mystery Shopping is popular with retailers and businesses seeking to improve their services. It is the ideal opportunity for people who love shopping to take on paid assignments as incognito customers.

Retail Active director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Just imagine – you can have a day out at the shops or at top restaurants – and actually get paid for it.

“We are looking for honest, reliable people who will act like regular shoppers – but will assess a store or a company’s performance and then produce a report.

“There’s nothing cloak and dagger about it. You just shop without drawing attention to yourself and make a discreet record of the way you were treated and how the organisation presented itself.

“You will be well paid for doing what you love most – whether it is shopping, eating out or visiting nightclubs.

“We even get to send people on luxury holidays to top international destinations.

Austerity may be making us count the pounds and pennies – but now there’s a way to shop at premium brand stores - and get paid for it.

And you could even take a luxury holiday, a weekend break or eat at top restaurants – free.

The market-leading mystery shopping company, Oxford-based, Retail Active is looking for more people to become Mystery Shoppers.

Mystery Shopping is popular with retailers and businesses seeking to improve their services. It is the ideal opportunity for people who love shopping to take on paid assignments as incognito customers.

Retail Active director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Just imagine – you can have a day out at the shops or at top restaurants – and actually get paid for it.

“We are looking for honest, reliable people who will act like regular shoppers – but will assess a store or a company’s performance and then produce a report.

“There’s nothing cloak and dagger about it. You just shop without drawing attention to yourself and make a discreet record of the way you were treated and how the organisation presented itself.

“You will be well paid for doing what you love most – whether it is shopping, eating out or visiting nightclubs.

“We even get to send people on luxury holidays to top international destinations.

Five Good Reasons to Hold On To Your Existing Customers

It costs businesses five times more to win a new customer as it does to keep existing ones – according to a study by mystery shopping and retail intelligence analysts, Retail Active.

And repeat customers typically spend a third more than new ones.

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain, says: “It proves beyond doubt the value of holding on to your existing customers – especially in challenging trading conditions.

“To do that – you have got to keep them happy and offer them better customer service than your rivals.

“Maintaining high levels of customer service has never been more important.

“Repeat customers are the heart of every business and are far more profitable than new ones. They have a better understanding of the brand’s value, plus they are easier to find and communicate with.”

Retail Active is Britain’s leading mystery shopping company, sending out thousands of undercover agents each year to monitor customer service standards in a wide variety of nationally-known companies.

Although it can be vital for businesses to attract new customers, it is usually much more beneficial to turn the ones you have into loyal lifetime customers.

It is offering a five point guide to businesses on how to keep their existing customers happy.

Julian Chamberlain said: “Seeing as one new customer costs as much as five existing ones – we though the five point plan was very appropriate.

The Retail Active Guide is:-

1. Always seek to identify and solve complaints quickly. Customers will have much more trust and increased loyalty if you do this.
2. Keeping customers loyal is critical, so providing a good product or service is core to success.
3. Front Line is Bottom Line! Keep your customer facing teams highly motivated and focussed.
4. It's worth remembering that every dissatisfied customer will tell up to 10 others of any poor experience.
5. Always look for ways to exceed your customer’s expectations. Often ways to exceed expectations cost a minimal amount and can give huge financial returns
6. Always consider the Lifetime Value (LTV) of a customer. To do this take the average transaction size and multiply this by the number of purchases the customer makes from you each year. Only then can you fully appreciate just how important existing customers are: As a rule of thumb you should seek to retain every customer for at least five years.

Increasing Customer Loyalty: A Case Study

California-based pizza maker zpizza understands the importance of repeat custom to its business, having recently run an integrated direct marketing campaign combining mail, e-mail and mobile to entice consumers to join its ‘ztribe’ loyalty club. The chain - which is known for making gourmet pizza with unique toppings – is hoping to build the club with the long-term goal of doing more business with its members in the future.

Zpizza particularly wanted to increase the number of ‘heavy users’ – customers who spend over $50 a month and order at least twice - at each of their stores across the US. The aim of the campaign was to identify local people and entice them to join the loyalty scheme.

The zpizza campaign consisted of pizza themed scratch cards that were mailed to up to 3,000 people in the local area surrounding each store. Recipients could then text in their winning code revealed on the scratch card along with their email address to claim whichever prize they had won. There was an assortment of prizes, of which the majority were free coupons; however prizes up to $5000 were possible.

The result of the campaign was a resounding success. Zpizza not only spurred existing customers into action, but also reached potential new customers; receiving nearly 2000 entries from their scratch card campaign. Registrations to ztribe were up nearly 20% compared to the regular sign-up rate. Zpizza hopes to run another loyalty promotion in the near future.

The majority of businesses, including zpizza, understand that encouraging repeat business can have a huge positive impact on their bottom line. Most recently, a study from business intelligence consultant Retail Active found that it can cost as much to gain one new customer as it does to keep five existing ones, and that repeat customers typically spend about one-third more than new ones.

Vigorously pursuing repeat business can have many positive effects, including increased sales, reduced costs and higher customer satisfaction rates. Better relationships with customer’s increases brand loyalty making it less likely for them to defect to a competitor.

Zpizza’s case study above highlights the importance of reaching out to your existing customers. As a mystery shopping and business intelligence company, Retail Active knows the power of giving existing customers the best experience possible by leveraging ‘service excellence’ to keep your customers coming back to you time after time.

Staycation is here to stay holiday at home brits say “same again”

Almost nine out of ten Britons who spent a holiday-at-home “staycation” last year would choose to do the same again – according to new research.The staycation became a popular choice for holidaymakers in 2009 thanks to the recession and the tumbling value of the pound against the Euro.


This year it’s the threat of a travel disruption from the volcanic ash cloud and airline strikes, which may be influencing vacation decisions.


According to a survey by the mystery shopping and business intelligence specialists, Retail Active, most Brits were quite happy with their UK holiday, despite the washout weather and wouldn’t hesitate to stay at home this year.


It says a third of those questioned have already booked a British holiday and another third hadn’t made their minds up yet about where to spend the summer.Only 26 per cent plan to go abroad.


Eighty five per cent of the 2000 people polled said they had taken their main holiday in the UK last year and 88 per cent said that, based on their experience – they would do so again.

Ninety six per cent said they would recommend a UK holiday to friends.


The main reasons for choosing a staycation are:


* Increasing cost of holidaying abroad - 32 per cent
* Effects of the recession - 20 per cent
* Fancied a change - 18 per cent
* Cost of the Euro - 17 per cent


Fifty per cent of staycationers rated their UK holiday as “excellent” value for money, 41 per cent said the value was “good” and incredibly only 2 per cent thought they’d had “poor” value.

Self catering cottages or apartments were the top choice – 31 per cent; Caravan holidays were also popular at 21 per cent, closely followed by hotels at 19 per cent. Ten per cent chose camping in a tent - but just over one per cent went for the traditional B and B. The West Country was the favourite staycation destination – with just over 14 per cent choosing Cornwall and seven per cent, plumping for Devon.


Other top spots were, the Isle of Wight, Pembrokeshire, Bournemouth, Llandudno, Newquay, Scarborough and North Norfolk.Whitley Bay, Tynemouth and Worthing were the least popular.


Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “From the results of our survey, it looks like the “Staycation” could be here to stay for the foreseeable future.

“Many Britons holidayed in this country for the first time last year and many people were worried that British destinations and hospitality may not come up to their expectations.

“In fact, we ran a survey which showed that British accomodation had not shaken off its 1970’s Basil Fawlty image.


“Our latest results show that people have been very pleasantly surprised by what they found in the UK.

“Thirty seven per cent of those polled said they had already booked a holiday here this year and about the same number hadn’t made their minds up yet – so British resorts could be in for a bumper year, especially if the forecast of good weather is correct.”

Hidden Charges Rip-Off Sparks a Consumer Revolt - New Survey

Eight out of ten people would not willingly go back to companies which hit them with hidden charges, according to a new survey.

And there’s a warning that hidden charges are sparking an angry consumer backlash, which could soon start to cost offending companies business.

Budget airlines were named as the worst culprits for ripping off customers with hidden charges – according to a survey by the mystery shopping company and business intelligence analysts, Retail Active.

A catalogue of complaints from customers includes a traveller being forced to buy a new full fare ticket after getting the names wrong on the booking form.

The survey, which polled 2000 people, says customers are fed up with being hit by an increasing number of hidden charges in a wide range of sectors including in the leisure, holiday, entertainment, travel and on-line retail sectors.

Customers are demanding action to force companies to come clean about their real costs.

Ryanair and Easyjet were named as the worst offenders for bumping up advertised budget rates with a string of hidden charges, which could add hundreds of pounds to a booking.

Many of those taking part in the survey said they had abandoned the process of making an on-line booking with budget airlines, as the ad-on charges piled up.

More than nine out of ten people said they resented paying hidden charges and the remainder said they only found it acceptable if extra services were involved.

The same number said they didn’t feel they were being advised about extra charges in time and that they were left until the last minute – when it was too inconvenient to abort the booking.

Top complaints against budget airlines were:-
• Adding charges for essentials like checking in, baggage allowances and paying on credit and debit cards when there was no other choice.
• Paying to guarantee passengers could sit together
• Exorbitant airport charges
• Paying “penalty” charges for administration for errors made while booking
• Exorbitant fuel, airport charges and transfer fees

Retail Active’s managing director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Our survey reveals growing consumer anger with companies advertising misleading prices and then sneaking in hidden charges as part of the purchasing process.

“For many people, one more charge has become the “last straw” and they’ve called off the deal. More than 86 per cent of those surveyed said they would not willingly return to a company which hit them with a hidden charge at the end of the booking.

“Many of those taking part demanded that retailers should be forced to be honest about the real costs.

“It is clear that consumer patience is running out over hidden charges and companies persist with this practice at their peril.

“Two budget airlines were named as the main culprits – but there are many other areas where customers feel exploited – including hotels, “all-inclusive” holidays, restaurants, concerts and on-line shopping.”

One respondent booked at a hotel advertising free meals and accommodation for children only to be told there was a £20 per child “supplement”.

Postal charges for goods ordered on-line was another problem area – with customers reporting a £25 delivery on an item costing only a few pounds and being charged two lots of postage for two items in the same parcel.

Julian Chamberlain said: “It is obvious from the response that hidden charges are becoming a major consumer issue and that companies which don’t fairly publicise their extra charges could soon start to feel a backlash from angry customers.”

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.

Retail Week - American Apparel, Camden

At Retail Active we conduct thousands of assignments to assess the best and worst in Hospitality, Leisure and Retail. However If we were to select one retailer for consistently superior customer service in 2009 it would be American Apparel.

When we visited the store we were immediately approached by staff in a helpful, friendly and competent way. Another great plus point of this store is that American Apparel is “Sweatshop Free” you can buy in the confidence that their workers are cared for.

As you would expect there are no drab winter colours here, a full array of rainbow colours to brighten any rainy winter’s day. This brand is bright, fun and funky, helping to banish the winter blues.

Above all this is a brand implemented with flawless execution, enabling us to acknowledge American Apparel, Camden as our January 2010 service heroes.

Julian Chamberlain, Managing Director of Retail Active Mystery Shopping said: “When Retail Week contacted us for our thoughts on a good retail shopping experience we didn’t hesitate to nominate American Apparel.

“We specialise in monitoring standards of customer service and to pinpoint areas where improvements can be made. On the occasions we visited the American Apparel Camden store they displayed an outstanding level of customer enagement”

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.