Waitrose Lichfield claimed victory this week with a “pleasant” Easter shop, scoring 75 points.
Our shopper noted the “attractive” displays, including plenty of Easter eggs around the store and special offers.
The fruit & vegetable section was tidy and well stocked, while the shop floor service was excellent: “Both members of staff were helpful and efficient,” said our shopper.
However, that service did not extend to the checkouts, where there was “very little interaction”.
Availability was generally strong and just one item was out of stock: the tortellini.
Second-placed Tesco on Mather Avenue in Liverpool scored 67 points.
Store standards were good. While the fruit & veg section was well stocked, the store was described as clean, bright and easy to navigate.
The staff our shopper spoke to were also “really friendly and happy to help”. However, they did not check the stock room for missing items.
At the checkout, the experience was similarly mixed. While our shopper had to wait four to five minutes to be served – the queues made it difficult for other customers to get past – the checkout assistant was “very nice and chatty”.
Our shopper singled out the security guard on the doors as “the best thing about my shopping experience”.
“He is an absolute joy and a real credit to the store. You can see customers leaving the store with big smiles on their faces after speaking to him.”
Two items were out of stock and four items were not stocked, all Easter-themed items.
Next up was Asda Falmouth with 59 points. Our shopper noted “excessive” signage that didn’t necessarily correlate with discounts, making it quite difficult to spot good offers.
The layout was poor and “really confusing”, making the overall experience “quite stressful”.
“This means a lot of walking around trying to find the right aisle while having to navigate other shopping trolleys,” our shopper said.
On the plus side, there were plenty of checkouts open and our shopper only had to wait a minute to be served.
Two items were out of stock and two were not stocked.
Second to last place went to Morrisons York. Restocking trolleys were causing obstructions throughout the store, and staff seemed oblivious to shoppers trying to pass by.
In the fruit & vegetable section, a major leak was being attended to, but it was still wet and messy.
Many of the freezers were empty and turned off, but there was no sign to explain why.
The checkout assistant did not say hello, which our shopper felt was “a little rude”.
One item was out of stock, and seven were not stocked.
In last place was Sainsbury’s Solihull, which scored 47 points mainly due to low availability.
Store standards were average and the Easter egg selection seemed scattered around the store.
On the shop floor, staff were “mostly helpful”, and the checkout experience was also good. Our shopper didn’t have to queue and a checkout was opened for him as he approached.
However, the layout was not particularly logical and there were no counters available.
Availability was very poor. One item was out of stock while nine items were not stocked, including the Cadbury Creme Eggs, hot cross buns and Lindt Lindor mini eggs.
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