Two years removed from its all-time high, customer satisfaction with the retail trade sector fell for a second consecutive year, sliding 2.6 percent to an ACSI score of 74.8. Despite the decline for 2015, the overall score for retail stands almost exactly at its long-term average (74.6).

A closer examination of historical ACSI results for retail shows that the sector earned its best marks for customer satisfaction as the economy emerged from the Great Recession. During this period of recovery from 2009 to 2014, companies had to compete for a smaller pie of consumer dollars with discounts, incentives, and better customer service. High unemployment made for a very competitive job market, which kept retail employees motivated to provide good customer service lest they be replaced. At the same time, customers may have been more forgiving. The convergence of these factors contributed to higher customer satisfaction.

But as recovery settles in and economic conditions start to look more optimistic, that honeymoon is over, and the recent declines in retail customer satisfaction begin to look more like an adjustment rather than a tailspin.

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