The nation’s favourite supermarket has been revealed in an annual survey – beating popular rivals Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s
The nation’s favourite supermarket has been revealed – despite customers giving it just two stars for value for money.
Unsurprisingly, Marks and Spencer has been given top billing, in a Which? customer satisfaction survey – and it’s the fifth time in a row it has come out on top.
In a new survey by Which?, M&S emerged as the clear winner, achieving a customer satisfaction score of 78 per cent, while the rankings for stores such as Asda and Morrisons was a whopping 10 per cent lower.
Customers ranked the supermarkets on a number of different criteria, with M&S given top marks for customer service, store appearance and product quality, despite being ranked only 2 out of 5 stars on value for money.
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One UK shopper told Which? that M&S is the “best place for high-quality produce and never lets me down.”
The lower score for value meant M&S missed out on Which? naming it as a “Recommended Provider”.
The researchers found that customers feel M&S isn’t a place to do a weekly food shop, but is more of a destination for occasional treats, rather than their weekly shop as one person said: “It’s nice to shop there for something a little special, but it is quite expensive” while another added: “I don’t feel I can do a full shop there.”
Coming in joint second was Tesco and Aldi, receiving an impressive score of 76 per cent. Aldi was considered the best on value for money but was ranked lower on customer service (3/5), self-service (2/5) and product quality (3/5). Which? said the findings on cost mean Aldi remains the only supermarket to be given the sought-after ‘Recommended Provider’ label.
As for Tesco, it was awarded an impressive four stars for customer service, store appearance, product range and overall quality. The budget supermarket did not score below three stars in any category, including value for money. But Which? didn’t give it the much-touted ‘Recommended Provider’ status due to Clubcard discounts not being available to everyone.
Meanwhile at the bottom of the table was Asda and Morrisons coming in joint-last, with both receiving a customer score of 68 per cent. The stores were ranking low due to long queues, poor customer service and product quality at Asda.
For Morrisons, customers complained about empty shelves and fresh food going off quickly. One shopper said Morrisons is “not the cheapest” and it’s “quite old-fashioned looking.”
The two were also ranked low for value for money among loyalty scheme members, suggesting they were not delivering meaningful benefits for shoppers.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: “There’s no doubt that shoppers value M&S for its in-store experience and product quality. However, some people feel its higher prices put it out of reach for a regular weekly shop. Instead, it becomes an occasional treat or a destination for yellow-sticker bargains.
“At a time when households are under intense cost-of-living pressure, Aldi continues to lead on price – focusing on affordability over frills.”
Asda’s chief customer officer Rachel Eyre said: “We were recognised as the cheapest supermarket for a big shop by Which? last year and are progressing in the areas that matter most — better availability, unbeatable value, and a stronger in-store and online experience.vWe’re seeing improvements in our internal customer satisfaction data as a result, and remain focused on being the number one choice again for families.”
An M&S spokesman said: “M&S customers are guaranteed quality and value as well as great customer service, store standards, range and availability.
“Our Remarkable Value range of everyday family favourites – price benchmarked against key competitors – has doubled in size since 2023 and M&S is the fastest growing grocer for families, demonstrating progress in our journey to become a shopping list retailer.”
Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “We’re proud to be Which?’s only Recommended Provider for in-store supermarket shopping. We know that value for money is the top priority for customers, and that’s why around 70% of UK households now shop with us.
“We’ve also been named by Which as the UK’s cheapest supermarket for five years in a row, proving that if you want great quality products at unbeatable prices, as well as a great in-store experience, the only place to go is Aldi.”
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