UK supermarket Waitrose has been voted Britain’s favourite retailer, with sister store John Lewis coming second, according to research carried out by retail analyst Verdict.
Six thousand shoppers took part in the survey as part of research for the Customer Satisfaction Index 2007. The store was rated top in terms of quality, ambience and layout, and the research showed how most shoppers preferred Waitrose’s focus on the quality of food instead of branching out into other product lines.
The news is part of a double boost for the retailer, as they announced strong sales growth.
Sales for the year ending January 27 increased to £3.7 billion, an 11 per cent rise from the previous year, with profits also increasing by five per cent to £244 million.
The John Lewis group, owners of Waitrose, also saw pre-tax profits rise, hitting a record £319 for the year to January 27, with total sales reaching £2.7 billion.
Due to this success more than 65,000 staff at John Lewis and Waitrose will share a record bonus pot of £155 million, the equivalent to more than nine weeks’ pay for each member of staff.
Chairman Sir Stuart Hampson said, “The Partnership has had an excellent year and I’m very pleased to be reporting such strong financial results in my final announcement. It’s the engagement of our Partners in all aspects of the business that is the foundation of our success.”
“I have every confidence that we will have the capability at every level to continue to power the Partnership and realise our ambitions for the future,” he added.
Leave a Reply