sainsbury's

A big win for Sainsbury’s Carlisle this week. “Very neat and tidy assistants” offered pizza sampling. Staff were very pleasant and helpful, taking our shopper to find items. Availability was good; our shopper called it “a pleasure to shop at”.

Asda Bangor had “enticing displays of autumn clothing” and a “colourful toy section” just inside the doors. “Polite and helpful” staff searched for items, though quite a few were out of stock or not stocked. A “chatty, friendly cashier made sure she kept the pace with packing”, stopping when necessary. One of only two toilets at the store was out of order.

Directional signage was “confusing” at Waitrose Cheadle Hulme, meaning big queues in the car park. The “entrance was pleasantly laid out with a harvest festival display” with a number of savings on seasonal lines. Generally, staff exchanges were pleasant but some “seemed to avoid eye contact”. The customer service desk “was unmanned for long periods”.

Tesco Norwich had “a congested entrance”. The fresh produce stock levels seemed low and could explain the store’s poor score for availability. Friendly and polite staff members didn’t always offer to take our shopper to items or to look up stock levels.

Cigarette ends and rubbish greeted our shopper in the underground car park at Morrisons Eastbourne. Shop floor service was particularly poor, with “little or no eye contact” and “no offers to look for items/check stock”. For a Saturday afternoon, the “store was quiet” but a new Aldi had opened directly opposite.