Who we visited



East of england co-op Stowmarket, Suffolk

costcutter Blackburn, West Lothian

one stop Highbridge, Burnham-on-Sea

premier Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire

tesco express Sutton, South London



How they performed



Our East of England Co-op shopper was surprised how young the staff were at the branch on Combs Lane, Stowmarket. However, they were very efficient and polite and had good product knowledge. The store was very clean but there were a few large unpacked boxes in the aisles. As with most of the top-up shops this week, there were a large number of reduced items and bogofs across the store, which were well-signposted.

Staff were also being kept busy at the Costcutter on Sycamore Walk in Blackburn, West Lothian, with special offers attracting large numbers of shoppers. Shelf-stackers were busy but did not obstruct shoppers as the aisles were wide. It was easy to find all the products although the required size of bacon was not stocked.

The One Stop in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, was bright, clean and airy with special offers at the gondola ends. Staff were helpful and polite and the layout was logical. Availability was generally good but bakery was badly depleted, with the required loaf out of stock.

Located on a housing estate in Kirkintilloch, the Premier store provided a pleasant experience. Although the required sizes of the butter and bacon were not stocked, a variety of promotional offers included four cans of Heinz Baked Beanz for £1. The shop was immaculate and checkout staff happily packed our shopper's bags.

The Tesco Express in Sutton was generally clean although there were quite a few gaps on the shelves. Staff were busy but well-mannered and quick to help our shopper locate certain items. Despite a lengthy queue at the checkouts, staff remained cheerful and worked quickly to prevent shoppers waiting too long.

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