Asda named safest supermarket during Covid-19

Asda is the safest place for people to shop during Covid-19 according to an independent analysis by trade magazine the Grocer.

The Grocer commissioned researchers from Shepper to carry out spot checks on Covid-19 safety measures at more than 500 different supermarkets including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl stores across the UK.

Asda came out on top of the seven different measures that were tested, with an average score of 82%. The researchers looked at initiatives such as how visible signage was and how well one-way systems had been applied in store, along with each supermarket’s hand sanitiser availability and disinfectant measures for customers and colleagues.

The Grocer said that Asda ‘led the pack’ for implementing safety measures and scored the retailer 100% for applying one-way systems, the use of checkout screens, and maintaining social distancing at the tills. Asda was the only big four supermarket to record a 100% score in these categories.

Asda also came top for providing hand sanitiser for customers to use upon entry, with 78% of stores visited providing this facility - the highest of any other retailer surveyed.

Anthony Hemmerdinger, Asda’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are pleased to have been recognised as the safest supermarket during what has been a challenging period for retailers and for our customers.

“I am proud of the fantastic work that thousands of colleagues have done to ensure our stores are both safe for our customers to shop in and for our colleagues to work in and I would also like to thank our customers for their understanding in embracing this new way of shopping.”

Methodology:
The Grocer’s research was collected by the Shepper network across 500 stores in the UK between 26th May – 29th May 2020. Researchers were asked if they saw the safety measures in store during a visit and answered yes or no. The answers were collected and each supermarket was given an average score based on the results.