This is what drives us crazy at the supermarket, according to Canstar Blue survey

AUGUST 25, 2014
news.com.au
IT’S a necessary part of everyday life — a trip to the supermarket — but new figures reveal just how much of an ordeal the weekly shop can be.
A survey from consumer research company Canstar Blue has shown exactly what drives us bonkers in the supermarket aisles — and you might be surprised to find out which of the shopping giants is our favourite.
Long lines at the check-outs are Australians’ top pet peeve when it comes to doing the grocery shopping, with 62 per cent of survey respondents identifying it as a major annoyance.
Shoppers are also unimpressed when the items they want are sold out, according to 52 per cent of those surveyed, and 35 per cent of us don’t like it when brands are replaced by the supermarket’s private label products, such as Woolworths’ Homebrand or Coles Finest.
Kids can also ruin our weekly shop, with 38 per cent of people saying they were peeved by parents not controlling misbehaving children.
The item that came in equal third position divides opinion: self-service machines.
Some shoppers love the convenience and, if we’re honest, the ability to check out items without dealing with another human being; but others prefer the personal contact and find the machines a headache.
The survey found that 38 per cent of us were annoyed by self-service, especially when the machines malfunctioned, such as when they ask to “please place item on the scale” when you already have (argh!).
And the research has a handy note to (human) check-out assistants: Shoppers like you to be friendly, but not too chatty. Eleven per cent of respondents said they were ticked off by check-out assistants who were too talkative.
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You might be surprised to hear that German-based discount supermarket Aldi outclassed Woolworths and Coles to win Canstar Blue’s Overall Satisfaction award for the third time.
The growing chain rated highly in the categories of value for money, quality of products, store layout and special deals, and even rated higher than “Woolworths, the fresh food people” when it came to the freshness of food.
The survey showed that the main reason people were loyal to a certain supermarket was that they were familiar with its layout and could find what they wanted easily (66 per cent). And the second most common reason for loyalty was as simple as that it was the closest to a customer’s house (56 per cent).
And as for those incessant “down, down, prices are down” ads? Turns out that they do little to sway us, with as few as 13 per cent of people saying they were influenced by an ad on TV and decided to swap supermarkets as a result.
Exercise physiologist and nutritionist Bill Sukala said he understood why 36 per cent of respondents were annoyed by aisles blocked by trolleys.
“Sure, people push their trolleys just like they drive their cars — on the wrong side of the road, parked sideways blocking the aisle while they post pictures to their Facebook pages, or obliviously impeding access to the tomatoes despite other shoppers rubbernecking to get around them,” Dr Sukala said.
“Because the healthiest foods are around the outer perimeter of the supermarket (fruits, veggies, lean meats, fish, etc), I recommend shoppers avoid the aisle bottlenecks altogether. Shopping the perimeter will, by default, help you choose more health-promoting nutrient-dense, low-kilojoule foods. The aisles tend to be full of expensive processed, high-kilojoule products so avoiding them altogether will help you slim down — and not your wallet.
“If you’re only shopping for a few things, I suggest nixing the trolley and opting for a hand basket.”
Aldi is has rated highly for customer satisfaction. Picture: Ian Svegovic
Aldi is has rated highly for customer satisfaction. Picture: Ian Svegovic Source: News Corp Australia
Here’s the full top 10 list of what drives us crazy at the supermarket:
1. Long queues at the check-outs — 62 per cent
2. Sold-out items — 52 per cent
= 3. Parents not controlling misbehaving children — 38 per cent
= 3. Self-service machine errors — 38 per cent
5. Aisles blocked by trolleys — 36 per cent
6. Brands replaced by supermarket private label brands eg. Homebrand, Coles Finest — 35 per cent
7. No staff to help — 29 per cent
8. Trying to find a parking space — 28 per cent
9. Talkative check-out assistants — 11 per cent
10. Restricted opening hours — 9 per cent.
These figures were drawn from a survey of 2500 Australians on their supermarket shopping habits.