Tesco tops battle for best supermarket in Plymouth

Plymouth may revel in its maritime character and proud naval identity – it’s best known as the port from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1620 aboard the Mayflower – but these days it’s just as much a modern university city and gateway to stunning coastal scenery as it is a historic seaport.

The University of Plymouth provides a youthful energy well served by cafés and nightlife, while recent regeneration has added a modern waterfront feel with attractions like The Box museum, new restaurants and the Royal William Yard – a historic naval complex turned into stylish flats, shops and eateries.

Demographically, Plymouth is not a wealthy city: it underindexes significantly on all of the three most affluent profiles identified by CACI, and 60% of its population fall into the steadfast communities and stretched society groups. As such, its population of 300,000 is most likely to come across a Lidl when deciding where to shop – the discounter has twice as many supermarkets in Plymouth (eight) as the second most represented retailer (Aldi, with four stores).

But with the discounters discounted from our mystery shop, it was Tesco that took this week’s win, no doubt helped by its “broad appeal across income levels”, according to CACI. The 42,553 sq ft store is located in a largely residential area five miles north of Plymouth’s city centre, and its winning score of 91 was forged on the back of excellent availability, with just one item not stocked.

It also excelled on customer service, with our shopper impressed by a staff member who “immediately stopped what they were doing and escorted me to the product in a friendly manner with a big smile”.

Overall, the experience was “enjoyable”, and she found the store to be “clean, tidy, well stocked” and “easy to navigate”. The aisles were clear, the “fruit & veg section in particular was very well presented” and it felt “very Christmassy”. When pushed, our shopper could pinpoint “nothing bad” about her visit.

A 20-minute drive west over the Tamar Bridge, Waitrose in the nearby town of Saltash took second spot this week with a creditable 87 points. However, with better availability, the 30,682 sq ft store could have been celebrating victory. As with our winner, it excelled in most areas, with our shopper noting “the best thing was the customer service – they didn’t just take me to the product, they had a lovely chat with me en route and told me about any offers they had associated with what I was buying”.

She described her store experience as “excellent from start to finish”, with all floors clear of spillages and obstructions and “excellent” counter displays full of “great items”. Waitrose Saltash might even have gained a new customer: “I would definitely shop here again, as I was super impressed,” our shopper added.

Third place went to Morrisons on Pomphlett Road, another located a few miles out of central Plymouth in a more residential area. The store equalled this week’s best performance on availability with just one item out of stock, while our shopper was particularly positive about its layout, citing ease of navigation as her abiding memory of the shop.

She also found “all staff members” she spoke to “very pleasant and helpful”, while the store was “clean and well maintained” with “nicely presented” displays.

Five miles north, Asda in Leypark Drive took fourth this week with 73 points. The store posted this week’s joint-worst score on availability thanks to three items being out of stock, while our shopper noted that the store was “very busy so slow to navigate around” and the staff perhaps needed more support as they “looked very busy”.

Nonetheless, the staff member she spoke to was “friendly and engaging – my questions were met with enthusiasm and nothing was too much trouble”. Overall, the store provided a “good experience” and “good value for money”.

A full 15 points back in last place this week, Sainsbury’s on Plymouth Road may also be out of town, but it’s “easy to get to”, according to our shopper. Another with three items out of stock, the store struggled in most areas, with our shopper nothing that “some aisles were blocked and it was hard to find staff at times”.

Those staff that were there should be asked “if they can help a bit more if someone looks lost”, she added, although one staff member with “a Welsh accent” took our shopper to the correct aisle for a product and “made conversation with my daughter, which was really lovely”.