There may be some strong competition between Australia’s top five supermarkets, but there’s one retail giant that has been crowned the winner more than any when it comes to customers’ favourite store.
German supermarket giant Aldi has once again taken home the Canstar Blue rating for customer satisfaction – its seventh win in nine years.
Beating IGA, Coles, Woolworths and Foodland to the top spot, the retailer matched or beat the others in food quality and value for money.
It fell short when it came to customer service however, with just three out of five stars – but Coles and Woolworths failed to beat it there either, as IGA got the best score in that category.
“Coles and Woolworths have made their respective ‘Down Down’ and ‘Cheap Cheap’ slogans far less prominent in recent years, while ALDI continues to differentiate itself on price, but at the same time promotes its products as being ‘good different’,” Canstar said in a statement.
Almost 3,000 shoppers were asked about their experiences of buying groceries from their local store of choice in the survey, with the feedback forming the final ratings.
IGA took the second spot behind Aldi, with Coles coming in third ahead of Woolies, and Foodland taking fifth spot.
And it comes as Aldi confirmed they wouldn’t be following Coles and Woolies in introducing mini collectibles in the store – despite the surge in popularity.
“We are very focused on anything that adds cost and complexity that could jeopardise our business model and how we’re able to provide our prices,” Adrian Christie, Aldi’s customer service and communications director told The Age andThe Sydney Morning Herald.
“We like to stick to our knitting.”
Meanwhile, Aldi reigned supreme in the supermarket meat wars last year too and beat out major rivals Coles and Woolworths to win the top customer satisfaction rating in another Canstar Blue survey.
The major chain topped 2018’s Supermarket Meat Awards, thrashing competitors across all four meat categories: beef, pork, chicken and lamb. Measuring overall satisfactions, as well as freshness, taste and value for money, the 2,273 Australians surveyed undeniably showed their support for the store.
Canstar Blue Editor Simon Downes told Starts at 60 at the time that Aldi’s success came down to its discount prices and the reputation for reliability and meeting the needs of consumers.
“It is surprising to see one supermarket chain dominate,” he said. “But it speaks volumes about how Aldi continues to exceed the expectations of customers.”