How Do Customers Respond To Long Wait Times? Many Leave Empty Handed!

A study conducted by M/A/R/C® Research found ten percent of shoppers frustrated enough to leave a checkout line if the wait was too long. The study, which was originally conducted in early 2007, was recently revisited to see if shopper’s attitudes towards check-out lines had changed.

M/A/R/C surveyed almost 13,000 shoppers thru an online survey to learn the importance check out times had on their most recent shopping outings. The study included shoppers at stores in eight categories: Club, Consumer Electronics, Department, Drug, Grocery, Home Improvement, Mass Merchandisers, and Office Supply Stores.

The study reports a consistency from 2007, reflecting that shopper’s satisfaction remains high when in line four minutes or less in all store categories. The only exception is Club Stores, where an average wait time slightly over 4 minutes is still acceptable. After 4 minutes, the satisfaction levels drop significantly across the other seven categories.

One of the most surprising finds of the study found that 43% of consumers stated long lines will affect their decision to shop a particular retailer in the future – and three percent of those consumers will stop visiting the store all together. “Retailers really have to focus on keeping their wait times under 4 minutes with the negative impact of even one minute more,” said Tony Amador, Sr. Vice President at M/A/R/C Research.

The study provides a list of leaders in conversion (shoppers that purchase) and lowest wait time in each category, plus a look at which days of the week reported the shortest lines and the satisfaction levels with wait times by age group.