Sainsbury's in Barnwood, Gloucestershire, netted our top store award this week for its outstanding customer service.
Although the cod fillets were out of stock, our shopper was delighted to be offered the Taste the Difference version for the same price. She was also impressed with an assistant who helped her pick the freshest croissants and another who escorted her to the balsamic vinegar.
Tesco in Altrincham provided the strongest availability but was let down by packing trolleys that congested the fresh produce aisles. Our shopper also had trouble locating several items, though staff were on hand to help him.
Asda in Gateshead had one out-of-stock item and our shopper noted there were lots of gaps on the shelves. When he asked for help, two assistants escorted him to the items, but several others only told him the aisle number. The checkout assistant was polite, though.
A long queue and poor service let Morrisons in Banbury down. Our shopper struggled to find the courgettes because they were hidden underneath a garlic display. She also noted the staff seemed abrupt and did not escort her to items when she asked for help.
Availability disappointed at Waitrose's Weston-super-Mare branch, but staff told our shopper when more stock was due in and recommended alternatives. The checkout assistant was friendly and offered to pack.
Winner: Simon Luffman, store manager, Sainsbury’s, Barnwood
Why did our shopper receive the premium battered cod fillet for the same price as the standard? Because when a promoted item is out of stock, we offer shoppers a goodwill voucher, which enables them to buy a similar version for the same price if it costs more. We have always offered it to keep the customer as satisfied as we can.
How did the Switch and Save taste testing go in your store? It was absolutely fantastic. Six of our lines, including ice cream, yoghurt and lemonade, went head-to-head with their branded equivalents. Our results showed that customers preferred our own-label lines on every single one. We will be introducing further tests on more lines in the build-up to Christmas.
Is the new coupon scheme available in your store yet? We have just had all the printers installed and the scheme is set to start running in a couple of weeks, which is very exciting. It will look at information from the Nectar database to offer shoppers some great discounts based on their past purchases.
What's in your seasonal aisle at the moment? It is split into two halves and contains products for Hallowe'en and Christmas. Our Hallowe'en range is very strong and includes fancy dress, toys and sweets, so it is proving very popular. Shoppers are also stocking up nice and early for Christmas and have been buying a lot of our festive chocolates and biscuits.
Tell me about your expansion plans. We are looking to extend the store within the next two years so that we can sell more general merchandise and offer our home delivery service to more houses in the area. Currently, 30% of our stock is non-food and we have seven delivery vans. It is in its early stages, so we haven't decided how much we are going to expand each area by yet.
How did you celebrate the launch of your autumn clothing? We held a clothes show in aid of our local charity, the Gloucestershire Young Carers, and my colleagues modelled the TU clothing range. It was really successful as we raised in excess of £500, which means we have raised a total of about £2,000 this year for the charity.
Although the cod fillets were out of stock, our shopper was delighted to be offered the Taste the Difference version for the same price. She was also impressed with an assistant who helped her pick the freshest croissants and another who escorted her to the balsamic vinegar.
Tesco in Altrincham provided the strongest availability but was let down by packing trolleys that congested the fresh produce aisles. Our shopper also had trouble locating several items, though staff were on hand to help him.
Asda in Gateshead had one out-of-stock item and our shopper noted there were lots of gaps on the shelves. When he asked for help, two assistants escorted him to the items, but several others only told him the aisle number. The checkout assistant was polite, though.
A long queue and poor service let Morrisons in Banbury down. Our shopper struggled to find the courgettes because they were hidden underneath a garlic display. She also noted the staff seemed abrupt and did not escort her to items when she asked for help.
Availability disappointed at Waitrose's Weston-super-Mare branch, but staff told our shopper when more stock was due in and recommended alternatives. The checkout assistant was friendly and offered to pack.
Winner: Simon Luffman, store manager, Sainsbury’s, Barnwood
Why did our shopper receive the premium battered cod fillet for the same price as the standard? Because when a promoted item is out of stock, we offer shoppers a goodwill voucher, which enables them to buy a similar version for the same price if it costs more. We have always offered it to keep the customer as satisfied as we can.
How did the Switch and Save taste testing go in your store? It was absolutely fantastic. Six of our lines, including ice cream, yoghurt and lemonade, went head-to-head with their branded equivalents. Our results showed that customers preferred our own-label lines on every single one. We will be introducing further tests on more lines in the build-up to Christmas.
Is the new coupon scheme available in your store yet? We have just had all the printers installed and the scheme is set to start running in a couple of weeks, which is very exciting. It will look at information from the Nectar database to offer shoppers some great discounts based on their past purchases.
What's in your seasonal aisle at the moment? It is split into two halves and contains products for Hallowe'en and Christmas. Our Hallowe'en range is very strong and includes fancy dress, toys and sweets, so it is proving very popular. Shoppers are also stocking up nice and early for Christmas and have been buying a lot of our festive chocolates and biscuits.
Tell me about your expansion plans. We are looking to extend the store within the next two years so that we can sell more general merchandise and offer our home delivery service to more houses in the area. Currently, 30% of our stock is non-food and we have seven delivery vans. It is in its early stages, so we haven't decided how much we are going to expand each area by yet.
How did you celebrate the launch of your autumn clothing? We held a clothes show in aid of our local charity, the Gloucestershire Young Carers, and my colleagues modelled the TU clothing range. It was really successful as we raised in excess of £500, which means we have raised a total of about £2,000 this year for the charity.
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