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.

Santa Needs To Sharpen His Act - Or Lose Money

Its no longer good enough for Santa to deliver his gift with a Ho,ho,ho – customer service will be high on everyone’s shopping list this Christmas.

A new 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 shopping intelligence company, says more than half the shoppers surveyed beleive 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 this Christmas.

“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 High Street Christmas shopping. 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.

Clients include household names Porsche, Lexus and Toyota, P&O, Asda, and Center Parcs.

MALE CONSUMERS SPEND 15% MORE ON LAST MINUTE GIFTS

HAPLESS MALE CONSUMERS SPEND 15% MORE ON GIFTS AS THEY LEAVE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TO LAST MINUTE

Men who loathe shopping and only venture out to buy presents on Christmas Eve rarely get a bargain, retail experts said today.

Dubbed 'Last Minute Man' by sales assistants, he can apparently be spotted sweating profusely as he scrambles through the leftovers of the Christmas shopping rush on December 24th.

In the end he is usually pounced on by a crafty salesman who will convince him to spend hundreds of pounds on gifts never to be seen again after Christmas Day.

The research was carried out by analysts Retail Active, which has been called in by a leading supermarket to train staff to spot the stereotypical Last Minute Man and make him buy something.

It surveyed 2,000 shoppers across the country and found men are 22 per cent more likely than women to do their present-shopping on Christmas Eve, spending on average 15 per cent more than is needed.

Despairing men looking for gifts often spend in excess of £1,000, while their purchases on December 24th account for 63 per cent of all the high-value sales that day.

The firm says 1 per cent of men are so last-minute they even buy their loved-ones presents in a 24-hour petrol station during the early hours of Christmas Day.

Julian Chamberlain, managing director of Retail Active mystery shopping, said: 'Last Minute Man is a salesperson's dream - he's cash rich and time poor. He often makes a 'distress purchase', when all rationality goes out of the window.

'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.

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

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

Mr Chamberlain added: 'We have been coaching staff on the jewellery counters of a major supermarket 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.'

As part of the survey, shoppers were asked questions about when they shop, the value of the presents they bought and how often they had to return unwanted gifts.

Following the study, Retail Active came up with a list of top tips to help wives and girlfriends to ensure their present, and those for the family, are bought with consideration.

A potential Last Minute Man should ask family, friends and partners what they would like, write a list, shop earlier and plan a special treat for Christmas Eve when they should be shopping.

Women can apparently help their men by providing them with a list and allowing them a reward, such as a visit to the pub to watch football, once they have ticked off so many items.

It Pays to Complain - And Business Benefits Too!

It pays to complain – that’s the message from hundreds of dissatisfied customers who are cashing in on compensation from embarrassed companies.

Brits are learning that they can pick up thousands of pounds in cash, new goods and other benefits just by complaining about sloppy service or faulty products.

Terry-Anne Gulko, from Norwich, is the self-confessed Queen of Complainers. She says she’s made more money from compensation claims than from her day job.

She discovered her talent for complaining ten years ago and decided to cash in on it.

Since then she says she has made tens of thousands of pounds a year – more than she does from her job as a PR consultant.

She has complained to dozens of companies large and small after things have gone wrong and she says the secret of success is “Take your complaint straight to the top.”

It started when she booked rooms for her wedding guests with a top hotel chain.

She says: “They mixed up nearly every room and when my two year nephew became seriously ill with an allergic reaction, my sister called me for help but hotel staff couldn’t tell me which room they were in because they couldn’t operate the computer system. We had to run around calling for them.

“I took my complaint to the chief executive – after getting no response from customer services – and got a response within the hour. They ended up asking me to name my price for the mix-up with my nephew. I asked that all their staff should be sent on an extra computer training programme.

“They also gave me vouchers for more stays – but something went wrong with all of them and I had to make more complaints.”

Her next claim was over a phone installation, which ended up with a lengthy planning wrangle and Terry-Anne getting a bill £125,000 for consultancy and other work. She complained and was finally awarded £2000 compensation.

Then another phone fault led to her not getting the message about a family bereavement – and yet more compensation.

Since then she’s taken on banks, energy companies and food manufacturers. She says: “The culprits are usually big companies. The smaller ones usually care more about complaints and don’t get into expensive disputes.

She says: ”Don’t bother going through customer service departments – find out who is in charge and make your complaint directly to them. It is easy to track them down – just go onto the company web site and get their names – very often you get their email address and PA’s phone number as well.”

The findings are part of a survey by Britain’s leading Mystery Shopping company, Retail Active – who asked hundreds of its regular shoppers for details of successful compensation claims.

Retail Active’s director, Julian Chamberlain said: “Our findings show that more Brits than ever - 71 per cent - are prepared to complain about poor service – and it certainly pays to complain.

“You should be compensated if a standards of customer service and product quality are not met. It keeps companies on their toes and helps to maintain standards at all levels.

“There is a positive spin off for businesses too in settling complaints. The evidence is that when a company adequately compensates an unhappy customer – they pass on more positive feed back to more people than they would if they had had good service in the first place.

Complaints include:

• The 75-year-old gran with arthritis who needed to change trains at Milton Keynes. Station staff wouldn’t let her son-in-law onto the platform to help her and then directed her to a goods lift, where she got trapped. She was given a full-refund and extra travel vouchers – although she refuses to travel by train again.

• The mum whose toddler banged his head when a supermarket trolley seat collapsed. She was first offered a big bag of sweets – but was later given £300 when she took it to the top.

• The granddad who counted the perforations in Typhoo tea bags with a pin to prove their ad campaign that there were 100 perforations in every bag was wrong – and won a years supply.

• A bug found in a home delivery pizza. The supplier refused compensation until the customer threatened to call environmental health – and £35 was offered on the spot.

• The father who always took a notebook on family holidays and jotted down every problem and complained about them all at the end of the break – netting hundreds of pounds in compensation.

Retail Active - By Appointment to the Queen

When Optomen Television were looking for a company to supply Mystery Shoppers for their flagship TV series ‘MARY Queen of Shops’ they chose Retail Active, Britain’s leading Mystery Shopping Company.

Optomen Television were looking for a partner to supply experienced Mystery Shoppers who could be available at very short notice at undisclosed locations at opposite ends of the country. It was also essential that Retail Active could provide specific demographically profiled people to mirror the customer type of the outlets being helped by Mary Portas.

Mary is one of the UK's foremost authorities on retail and brand communication and is credited with turning Harvey Nichols into the modern fashion powerhouse that it is. What she doesn’t know about retail isn’t worth knowing.

Retail Active met the brief by supplying mystery shoppers to conduct a specific assignment as part of the filming schedule. The shoppers included Faye Blundred. Faye is a ‘Premier’ rated shopper having conducted special assignments here in the UK and overseas. Fay said, working with the Optomen TV production team was great fun and Mary is lovely. I can’t tell you anything about the programme as its top secret, but anyone interested in business and fashion will find it compelling viewing!

Julian Chamberlain, Managing Director of Retail Active mystery shopping said: “We can call on thousands of experienced consumers to give us rapid and accurate customer satisfaction feedback.

“We specialise in working with our clients to monitor standards of customer service and to pinpoint areas where improvements can be made. “Working with Optimum TV has been great fun and we are delighted to be chosen by them for our Mystery Shopping expertise.

A spokesperson for the production team at Optomen TV said: “We are delighted with the results of the filming and thank everyone at Retail Active for their help in making it a success”.

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.