Who we visited

Tesco Express Hazel Grove, Stockport

Shell Buckland, Surrey

Budgens Ruislip, Middlesex

Nisa Brixton, South London

Spar Rumney, Cardiff



How they performed

Only Nisa provided a full basket this week, with two of the retailers we visited not stocking 6-packs of unsmoked bacon. Our Nisa shopper said the store was clean but some packing boxes had been left out, causing an obstruction in the aisles. He said staff were friendly and offered to pack his bags.

Our shopper at Budgens had a similar experience, with a clean and tidy store and helpful staff, although she noted that the store was small, giving a "squashed" appearance. She said staff offered to pack her bags and she noted a good number of offers, with a leaflet on hand to flag up what promotions were running.

Spar did not sell 6-packs of unsmoked bacon but provided a

two-for-£1 promotion on individual cans of Heinz Baked Beanz and two-for-£2.30 on 2-litre bottles of Coca-Cola. Staff were friendly and the store was attractively merchandised.

Our Shell garage shopper was not impressed by the service she received from the checkout attendant, who failed to greet her. However, she said the store was clean and well laid-out, meaning she could find products easily. It did not stock blocks of butter and only had 12-packs of Weetabix instead of the 24-pack specified on her list.

Tesco Express provided everything on our shopper's list except a 6-pack of unsmoked bacon, instead stocking an 8-pack. The store was clean with well-presented aisles and displays that were easy for our shopper to manoeuvre. He said the checkout staff were extremely pleasant and offered help with packing his bags. The store was clear of boxes and packing trolleys and he was greeted when he went to the counter to pay for his items.

Topics