As Jubilee preparations got into full swing, Sainsbury’s was crowned the winner of our Grocer 33 mystery shop.
Scoring 81 points, the supermarket’s Calcot superstore in Reading impressed our shopper with its neat, clean and well-lit premises. Seasonal displays were attractive and the food counters were fully stocked and looked appetising, earning the branch top marks for store standards.
The layout was also easy to navigate, making the experience of shopping at a big store stress-free and enjoyable. Availability was good but two of our items were out of stock.
The only low point of the trip was an interaction with one young member of staff, which fell below our visitor’s expectations (they did not greet them or walk them to the product in question). Other than that, it was a pleasant experience.
Asda’s Kirkton store came second with 76 points. This branch looked very clean and organised, but didn’t have many eye-catching seasonal displays. On the other hand, it did have lots of “interesting” promotional activity.
The layout of the store was logical, the aisles were wide and there were no obstructions. But where it really excelled was in the quality of service – staff were well presented, eager to help and made sure to take our shopper to the correct aisles and/or check the stock room. The checkout assistant was not the most talkative, but she was careful when handling goods.
Only one item was out of stock, but two other items were not stocked there.
Third place was a tie between Morrisons and Tesco, each scoring 67 points. The former’s Redditch branch was in full Jubilee mood with lots of seasonal displays featuring prosecco, Pimm’s and strawberries.
The fruit & veg aisle was well stocked, as were the end-of-aisle Promotions. Even though staff were busy restocking, our shopper said they did not cause any obstructions. The fresh food counters were also neat and fully stocked.
The layout was confusing at times, with the same items often found in duplicate places. However, the store signage helped. Shop floor staff too were helpful and friendly, but our visitor felt a disappointing interaction with the till assistant and a lengthy checkout experience “let the store down”.
Meanwhile, Tesco’s Crediton superstore struggled most with availability this week – four of our items were out of stock, while two were not stocked.
On the bright side, it showcased excellent store standards. All the shelves were neat and tidy, and even the end of aisle promotions were eye-catching. Staff were smiley, polite and gave clear indications when asked for help. Overall, this branch offered a “relaxing” shopping experience.
Finally, Waitrose was in last place, losing out to Tesco and Morrisons by just one point. Its Shepherd’s Bush store is located inside the Westfield shopping centre – which meant the car park was already slightly messy by the time our shopper got there for their Saturday morning visit.
Once inside, the store had some relevant seasonal displays and attractive promotions. The overall layout was also described as “perfect”. However, this branch struggled with two key areas: availability and shop floor service.
The latter got a low score from our visitor, who struggled to find staff to ask for help. The checkout area was better managed, as a colleague directed customers to the correct tills.
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