Aldi loses to M&S as shoppers blame ‘long queues’ and ‘stock issues’

Marks and Spencer (M&S) has been crowned best supermarket of the year, beating discount rival Aldi, in the annual Which? survey.

Shoppers who took part praised M&S’s quality of products and shopping experience. It saw 3,206 members of the UK public taking part in the survey, rating 4,378 in-store and 1,350 online shopping experiences during October and November last year

M&S topped the in-store shopping category and has been awarded the Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status for the first time in recent years.

In the online category, Ocado and Sainsbury’s were awarded WRPs.

Aldi maintains its crown of Which?’s “cheapest supermarket of 2024” but its bargain prices failed to impress shoppers, who said they were fed up with long checkout queues, feeling rushed by cashiers, and of local stores that were were messy or badly stocked.

Similar frustrations were expressed about Lidl, the other big German discounter, which came seventh in the survey.

Tesco came second for in-store shopping and joint first for online shopping but missed out on WRP status due to the consumer champion’s concerns about the accessibility of its Clubcard loyalty scheme.

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? said it also conducts further checks, including on the provision of nutritional labelling and reported food safety breaches.

M&S was awarded a score of 79% and emerged as the UK’s highest-rated in-store supermarket for the fourth year in a row, 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.”

The 141-year-old high street fixture has targeted the weekly shop in recent years by revamping and expanding its foodhalls and freezing or lowering the price of shopping basket staples, which may have helped it achieve three stars for value for money and WRP status.

Tesco – the UK’s biggest supermarket – came second in the survey, with an impressive customer score (74%) and four stars for store appearance, product range and stock availability.

Tesco missed out on being a WRP due to its policy of not letting under-18s access lower Clubcard prices. Which? is calling on supermarkets to widen access to their loyalty schemes, particularly where they unlock big discounts. Many exclude shoppers on the basis of age, address requirements and digital access.

Aldi (72%), came in joint third, along with Iceland and Waitrose.

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.

Several Morrisons customers complained of cramped stores and poorly-manned checkouts. “Morrisons has gone downhill,” one said.

Asda scored two stars for everything from value for money and customer service to store appearance and stock availability. However, returning boss Allan Leighton has pledged to “restore Asda’s DNA,” including by cutting prices and the company has recently made up some ground on rivals in the Which? cheapest supermarket of the month rankings.

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 recently expanded its own-label range and is the only online retailer to sell M&S-branded products. One loyal customer told Which?: “Ocado gives the best all-round experience of all the online retailers.”

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 the survey received five stars for value for money. This is likely because many households are still feeling the pinch when it comes to the cost of groceries.

Which? retail editor Reena Sewraz said: “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.

“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.”