Small Waitrose store is best of the bunch across Swindon

Swindon’s history is wrapped up with rail travel, home as it was to Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Western Railway works. And just like it was to Brunel, the town’s location midway between London and Bristol remains a key part of its appeal today, with trains to the capital in 50 minutes and to Bristol in 40. Such connectivity aids its reputation as a practical and convenient option for commuters and families attracted to its relatively low prices.

Locals also enjoy easy access to exquisite green space in the Cotswolds and North Wessex Downs, while the Swindon Designer Outlet, housed in a restored railway works, offers more than 100 stores and dining options. More shopping comes in the shape of the Brunel shopping mall in the town centre and the Old Town with its independent boutiques, cafés and restaurants.

Yet it is innovation that has truly shaped Swindon’s story, and the local economy remains home to sectors including advanced manufacturing, life sciences and digital technology, along with major organisations including Zurich insurance and UK Research & Innovation.

All of this is reflected in significant uplift in the demographic Family Renters (12.6% vs a national average of 4.8%), according to CACI. However, like many places, Swindon has clear contrasts between neighbourhoods, and the town also over-indexes in Hard-up Households (11.7% vs 7.5%).

Wichelstowe is one of Swindon’s newest areas – a large, ongoing development with thousands of new homes being built that’s popular with young families and first-time buyers. A couple of miles southwest of Swindon, it’s also home to this week’s winning store, Waitrose on Mill Lane. Regardless of coming in at just 26,533 sq ft, it posted this week’s best performance on availability and excelled in various areas.

Even with the searing sunshine outside, our shopper found the in-store temperature “was kept pleasant” and the atmosphere “really nice”. This was helped by the “warmth of the staff at every enquiry”, with all of them speaking in a “conversational, relaxed manner”. Our shopper found the store “well presented”, “well manned” and “customer focused”, but did note that with “only one” staffed checkout open “it was easy to be stuck behind someone with a larger, full trolley”.

Just 1.5 miles north, Sainsbury’s on Paddington Drive was nine points back but took second with 79. Our shopper found the store “tidy, well laid out and neatly presented” and noted how many tills were open, resulting in “quick” service from an “efficient and friendly” colleague. Staff in general were “attentive, polite, friendly and helpful”, but the prognosis was not so positive for the toilets, which our shopper said were “dirty and smelly” and the worst thing about her visit.

Edged out by one point into third place was Asda in North Swindon District Centre, about 3.5 miles north of town. This giant of a store at 93,697 sq ft picked up a perfect 20 for Store Experience, with our shopper saying it “was very well presented, felt modern and clean, and generally inviting in all aisles”. Though its sheer size was its greatest strength and greatest weakness at the same time, with our shopper adding it is “so huge it feels as though you could find anything” but also that “you could take a very long time to find the things you want”. Indeed, she would have liked “more staff around the store” to respond to queries and “help people find things”.

More than 20 points back in fourth place, Morrisons on Eldene Drive felt “somewhat dated” and “quite dark and gloomy” but was “generally well maintained”. Our shopper felt the layout was “good, particularly for a smaller store” of 24,997 sq ft, though those dimensions cannot entirely excuse an availability score of zero thanks to six items out of stock and two not stocked. Our shopper felt the stock levels “need serious work” and also noted that “with loud music and staff running around the place” the store was “so overwhelming that I felt genuinely panicked”.

Where Asda could point to its size to somewhat explain poor availability, the 85,709 sq ft Tesco on Ocotal Way cannot. It matched Asda’s six out-of-stocks and two items not stocked on its way to a total score of just 46. Our shopper certainly found “the amount of gaps” on shelves “frustrating” and pointed out that “whilst some of this is likely due” to the weather and World Cup, “multiple staff stated it was common to this store at this time of day”. While he praised checkout staff for “proactively” helping people, he couldn’t help but conclude that “it seems there is an acceptance that customers in the evening will have a lower quality experience”, with “more staff on the shop floor” desperately needed.