Asda named ‘worst’ for in-store and online offerings

‘Big Four’ grocer Asda has been rated as the worst supermarket for both its in-store and online offerings, according to a survey of 12,000 Which? members.

According to the consumer association, Asda was left “languishing at the bottom” of both its in-store and online rankings, with scores of 56% and 65% respectively. Own brand items and fresh products were also rated poorly by in-store shoppers.

Which? said online shoppers were “unimpressed” with the number and choice of substituted items, and added the other ‘Big Four’ grocers – Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – delivered a better in-store shopping experience and range of products.

Meanwhile, online grocer Ocado was rated as the best online supermarket by Which?, which was highly commended for availability of delivery slots and ease of finding products on the website.

It was followed closely by Iceland, which was the only online supermarket to get five stars for value, but whose customers were less impressed with the range of products available. Which? said this is “unsurprising”, as Iceland “specialises in frozen food, and otherwise only sells store cupboard essentials and a small selection of fresh products”.

Overall, Waitrose reclaimed its place at the top of 2019 survey of Which? members, after being “dethroned” by budget store Aldi last year.

Marks and Spencer (M&S) took second place in the supermarket rankings, and both Waitrose and M&S praised for the quality of own label and fresh produce in stores, something Which? members voted as their “top priority”.

A statement by the group read: “Quality of food was key to rankings this year. 64% of those surveyed rated quality of fresh produce as the most important factor when choosing a supermarket. Both Waitrose and M&S impressed customers with excellent own label and fresh produce. However, they fell down on value for money versus other stores.”