WH Smith has been ranked the UK’s worst high street retailer for the second year in a row, whilst electrical goods store Richer Sounds was rated the best.
In the annual survey by consumer watchdog Which?, WH Smith propped up the table with a customer score of just 50%, accompanied by Homebase/Bunnings with a score of 53% and Sports Direct with 54%.
Shoppers surveyed rated the books and stationery retailer as very poor for value for money, service, and in-store experience. They also criticised its “cramped and messy” stores and “unhelpful” staff.
A spokesperson for WH Smith responded by saying: “This survey is neither statistically relevant nor meaningful relative to our loyal customer base.
“Every week, we serve 3 million customers in our 600 UK high street stores and have maintained our presence on the high street where many other retailers are closing stores. We work hard to improve customer experiences and continue to invest in new and existing stores.”
WH Smith has now been ranked in the bottom two of the Which? survey for the last nine years. Sales in its High Street division have been falling in recent years as it focused on improving profits. However, the group’s revenue climbed last year on the back of rapid expansion of its stores located at travel sites such as airports and railway stations.
Meanwhile, Richer Sounds took the top spot in the Which? ranking with a customer score of 89%, just ahead of Rohan (87%) and John Lewis (86%). The electrical goods retailer was praised for its “stellar” customer service and in-store experience, with shoppers appreciating special touches like having purchases carried to their cars, or the retailer paying for customer parking.
Five of the six highest-scoring shops in the Which? ranking were specialist retailers, with customers commending them for their expert advice and high-quality products. The only general retailer at the top of the table was John Lewis.
The department store collected high scores across the board when it came to experiences of buying products across a range of categories, including appliances and electronics, furniture and home, clothing and shoes, and entertainment. Customers told Which? that John Lewis was “a reliable store with products I can trust – I know staff will sort out any problems that may arise”, praising it for “nicely laid out stores with helpful staff and good parking.”
Which? highlighted that the results of its survey come with the future of the High Street hanging in the balance, following a series of high-profile brands announcing store closures or falling into administration.
Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine, said: “Worries about the future of the high street aren’t going away anytime soon, but it’s clear that there is still demand from shoppers for the experience and services offered by physical stores that can’t always be replicated online.
“Giving shoppers a great in-store experience is more important than ever if brands want to thrive on the high street. Our findings go to show that if retailers can deliver great value, quality products and first-class customer service, customers will keep coming back.”
The top-rated shops according to the Which? survey are:
1) Richer Sounds – 89% (223)
2) Rohan – 87% (256)
3) John Lewis – 86% (824)
4) Hotter Shoes – 84% (310)
= Lakeland – 84% (512)
= Toolstation – 84% (444)
7) Apple – 83% (316)
= Bodycare – 83% (99)
= Crew – 83% (68)
10) Screwfix – 82% (587)
= Seasalt – 82% (201)
= Waterstones – 82% (565)
Bottom rated shops:
101) Clinton Cards – 61% (488)
102) Peacocks – 59% (153)
= House of Fraser – 59% (303)
104) New Look – 58% (124)
105) River Island – 56% (62)
= JD Sports – 56% (132)
107) Sports Direct – 54% (396)
108) Homebase/Bunnings – 53% (486)
109) WH Smith – 50% (586)
The number in brackets represents the number of responses for that retailer.
