Morrisons claimed a comfortable victory as it picked up a second store of the week award for the current Grocer 33 year.
With 85 points, the supermarket’s branch in Bathgate was described as being a “very clean, attractive store” that was well stocked and well organised. Out of our 33 grocery items, two were out of stock and one was not stocked.
Our shopper said the staff were pleasant and “most helpful”, showing no hesitation to assist her when needed. She specifically pointed out there was a very friendly staff member on the checkout.
There were a few leaks by the chillers during our visitor’s shop on Sunday afternoon, but there were prominent signs around to warn shoppers of the hazard.
Waitrose came a distant second with 66 points. The driver shortage crisis has hit supermarkets hard and Waitrose’s branch in New Malden was no exception – nine of our required groceries were out of stock while two were not stocked.
Nevertheless, the store was orderly and easy to navigate. Our visitor said staff were excellent, well presented, and always helpful. She also noted there were a few promotional displays but nothing was “too eye-catching or enticing”.
Sainsbury’s in Poole came third with 63 points. One of the highlights of this store was how exceptionally clean it was (our shopper said the floors “sparkled”). She noted her past experiences in this store were not great but that the “clean, clear and ordered” branch had improved since her last visit.
However, this store also struggled with availability. There were five out-of-stocks and three not-stocked items. One staff member pointed out the next restocking would happen on Monday morning and that often by Sunday afternoon a lot of it was gone. Our shopper appreciated the store signage apologising for the poor levels of supply.
Next up was Asda in Cwmbran, Wales, which scored 60 points as it too struggled to keep shelves full. Some of the areas that were extremely low on stock included the frozen section, parts of the fruit & veg section, and the soft drinks aisle. The meat and fish counters were closed and the rotisserie section was unmanned.
The limited number of shop floor staff were helpful and knowledgeable, though largely busy with restocking. Our shopper had to navigate around some empty boxes to get to certain products.
There were three out-of-stocks and one not-stocked item. Our shopper said the branch was clean, organised, and well laid-out. Some areas of the store, such as the household goods and cleaning section, looked “very impressive”.
Tesco took the last spot with 53 points. As was the case with other retailers, the supermarket’s Cannock branch struggled with low stock supply. The fruit & veg section in particular looked “quite empty”, according to our shopper. The hot deli counter was nearly empty, and the bakery, fish and pizza counters were “average with some gaps”. Just one of the items on our list was out of stock.
The store was easy to navigate, but our shopper felt the entrance was cluttered with all the displays. She described the branch as “small and in need of a revamp”.
Although there were few staff members available, they were helpful and checked their phones or the stockroom when asked for specific items. Her checkout experience was smooth as the checkout assistant was pleasant and efficient.
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