France

Customer experience continues to be a huge driver of brand loyalty in the French market and a case in point is this year’s top performing sector - non-grocery retail.

As the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, brands in this sector-built loyalty and attracted new customers by leveraging digital innovation and investing in omnichannel customer experiences. A seamless relationship between the physical and the digital is one of the core customer challenges for brands across France. As customers return to In-person shopping, companies must strike the right balance between automated digital systems and human interaction. Immersive experiences can also help brands differentiate themselves and retain customers.

This year’s top-ranking brand for customer experience is Parc Asterix. While pandemic closures had a huge impact on the theme park’s ability to operate, it chose to use this as an opportunity to conduct an ambitious investment policy that is now bearing fruit. The park's record score on customer experience is the direct result of a strategy based on listening to customers and making necessary changes.

The park has set up an individualized multichannel visitor route to best meet visitors' expectations before, during, and after the visit. The implementation of its interactive website and visitor experience app, for example, helped to cut wait times for attractions and gave visitors more autonomy over how their time is spent in the park. Visitors can now also stay on-site at immersive hotels that make visiting a holiday in itself.

Jumping three spots to take its highest ever position, nonprofit insurance company MAIF moves into second place in this year’s CEE rankings with a score reaching 8.32. It retains its position as a sector leader in the highly competitive insurance sector at a time when customer loyalty is crucial to CX success. MAIF achieved a record score for loyalty in 2022 (8.68), and reached the highest Net Promoter Score (45) among 187 other brands.

Delivering on its mission to act “together for children and the planet”, children’s clothing brand Okaïdi-Obaïbi comes in third place in the CEE rankings for 2022, scoring high in the Integrity pillar. Business responsibility has been on the agenda for Okaïdi-Obaïbi, which is proving popular with consumers. It recently launched its EKO range of eco-certified products, to help customers feel they are making less of an environmental impact with their shopping. Beyond this, the IDTROC Second Life initiative allows customers to buy and sell their Okaïdi-Obaïbi wares, which is a testament to the longevity of products.

  05. PayPal

  06. Mercure

  07. Petit Bateau

  08. Optic 2000

  09. Dior

  10. Chanel