With a perfect score for shop floor service, “attractive displays”, “excellent in-store sampling” and excellent customer service - on the shop floor and at the checkout - Sainsbury’s Sheffield store gave the Holborn retailer its 18th win for service this G33 year.
Second-placed Tesco Durham lost ground due to lower store standards and shop floor service. “Boxes in the aisles contributed to a messy impression” and “staff appeared too busy restocking” to assist our shopper.
Morrisons Banchory was close behind. Despite a perfect score for shop floor service, it lost vital points due to poor availability, a confusing store layout and failure to offer help with packing.
Asda’s Fulwood store did OK but lost points due to two out of stock items, a “claustrophobic atmosphere” caused by “stock piled high” and longer waiting times as not enough checkouts were open.
At Lidl, this week’s guest retailer, availability was pretty good: only the chicken thighs were out of stock. However, what really hurt the discounter’s score was its store layout - with “household items scattered around the store” - and very few shop floor staff available.
Waitrose came last, partly because of the six items the Croydon store did not stock (including parsnips, Knorr Stock Pots, garlic baguette and Kinder Surprise). But it also lost points as shop floor staff were unable to check the stockroom due to being so short-staffed. A confusing store layout and a not particularly friendly checkout service also contributed.
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