Study reveals which supermarket UK customers believe has the best Covid-19 safety measures

Would you agree?

woman shopping at supermarket
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A Which? study surveyed UK shoppers about their experiences shopping in supermarkets during lockdown, to find out which ones the public thought had the best Covid-19 safety measures.

When the first lockdown hit in March 2020 as a result of the coronavirus, supermarkets became one of the only places Brits were permitted to go to outside of their homes.

And now, Which? have conducted a consumer survey into how effective the British public felt (and feel) supermarkets have been during the pandemic at keeping their stores safe, sanitary and socially-distanced.

So how did the public find doing their weekly shop - and which supermarkets did we feel were safest?

Which supermarkets did the survey find had the best Covid safety measures? 

The survey asked UK adults to rate the Covid-19 safety measures in a range of popular chain supermarkets - such as Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Waitrose, and Aldi.

And it was Sainsbury's that came out on top, with 81% of shoppers rating their safety measures - such as sanitising and social distancing measures - as good or excellent.

Marks & Spencer followed as a close second, with 79% of shoppers saying their measures were good or excellent. Waitrose also rounded out the top three, with 78% rating measures as good or excellent.

See how the rest of the supermarkets fared below...

  • Sainsburys - 81% (said measures were good or excellent)
  • M&S - 79%
  • Waitrose - 78%
  • Tesco - 74%
  • Aldi - 73%
  • Morrisons - 73%
  • Asda - 70%
  • Co-op - 69%
  • Iceland - 66%
  • Lidl - 66%

woman shopping at supermarket

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some of the complaints about lower-rated stores from customers included: the narrow aisles did not allow for social distancing, that too many people were allowed in the store at once, and that their were a lack of sanitising products at the entrance of the supermarket.

Which?'s editor, Harry Rose, said of the survey, "Many retailers have adapted and introduced effective safety measures during the pandemic. However, our research shows shoppers feel some supermarkets are doing a better job than others at keeping them safe."

"While lockdown restrictions are set to ease in the next few weeks, supermarkets should ensure their safety measures are the best they can be, so that everyone can shop confidently and safely." 

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.