M&S has triumphed for the fourth year in a row in the annual Which? supermarket survey, with shoppers praising the quality of its products and shopping experience. Meanwhile, Tesco moved up the rankings, coming second for in-store shopping after a successful year that has seen it make market share gains.
A total of 3,206 shoppers took part in the consumer watchdog’s annual survey, rating supermarkets on everything from store appearance and queueing time to delivery and the choice of substitutions.
M&S was also named as a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) for the first time in recent years. To qualify as a WRP, supermarkets must meet strict criteria, including getting at least three stars for customer service, value for money and quality of own-label and fresh products. Which? conducts further checks, including on the provision of nutritional labelling and reported food safety breaches.
With a customer score of 79%, M&S was the highest-rated in-store supermarket and was the only retailer to earn five stars for the quality of its own-label and fresh products. One customer explained the appeal: “It’s a real treat to shop there – great quality products that I don’t mind spending a bit more on.”
In recent years, M&S has targeted the weekly shop by revamping and expanding its foodhalls and lowering the price of shopping basket staples, which helped it achieve three stars for value for money and WRP status.
Tesco moved up from joint fourth last year with a customer score of 74% and four stars for store appearance, product range and stock availability. However, the UK’s largest grocer missed out on being a WRP due to its policy of not letting under-18s access lower Clubcard prices. Which? has been campaigning for supermarkets to widen access to their loyalty schemes as some exclude shoppers on the basis of age, address requirements and digital access.
On 72%, Aldi slipped down the ranking to joint third, alongside Iceland and Waitrose.
Whilst Which? recently crowned the discounter as the ‘cheapest supermarket of 2024’, some shoppers in the survey said they were fed up with long checkout queues, feeling rushed by cashiers, or local stores being messy or badly stocked. Similar frustrations were expressed about Lidl, which came seventh (69%).
Asda and Morrisons both scored 66% and came bottom of the in-store table. They were also the only supermarkets that failed to score more than three stars in any category.
When surveyed, some Morrisons customers complained of cramped stores and poorly manned checkouts. Meanwhile, reflecting its poor sales performance, Asda scored just two stars for everything from value for money and customer service to store appearance and stock availability.
For online shopping, Ocado and Tesco (both 79%) tied at the top of the table, but Tesco again missed out on a WRP due to Which?’s concerns over its Clubcard accessibility.
Ocado won praise for its product offering having ramped up its offering from M&S.
Waitrose (78%) got a good online score and several four-star ratings, but as with its in-store experience, many shoppers in the Which? survey baulked at its comparably expensive prices.
Sainsbury’s (76%) came third for online but secured a WRP as shoppers felt it was better value than Waitrose.
Amazon Fresh (68%) was just ahead of Asda (66%) at the bottom of the online rankings. Amazon Fresh had mediocre two-star ratings for value for money, product range and communication, but some customers praised its same-day and next-day delivery service. Meanwhile, Asda scored just two stars in seven out of 10 categories.
None of the supermarkets in both surveys received five stars for value for money, with Which? noting that this is likely because many households are still feeling the pinch when it comes to the cost of groceries.
“Our supermarket survey shows that a good shopping experience and quality products really matter to consumers – and M&S beating its rivals to the top spot shows some shoppers are prepared to pay a bit more for that,” said Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor.
“Aldi, Lidl or Iceland may be the preferred choice for those who prioritise affordability above all else. For people lucky enough to have a choice of supermarkets, mixing and matching to get the right mix of quality and bargain prices might be the right approach.
“Not everyone has a choice about where they can buy their groceries, which is why it’s important that supermarkets do all they can to ensure their lowest prices are available to all.
“For supermarkets that have loyalty schemes, this includes ensuring as many customers as possible are able to access the lower prices they offer without being excluded by age, address or digital access requirements.”
