WH Smith labelled the WORST shop on high street in annual survey of customers
SHOPPERS have once again thrown the book at WHSmith — putting it bottom of an annual high street survey of more than 100 shops.
The chain, which has been ranked the worst in the Which? survey in previous years, propped up the table with a low customer score of 50 per cent, just below Homebase on 54 per cent.
The chain was slammed by customers for offering "very poor value for money, service and in-store experience".
The 7,700 people quizzed for consumer champion Which? also criticised the "cramped and messy" stores and "unhelpful staff".
Meanwhile, Homebase and former Bunnings was slammed for being difficult to navigate, as shoppers told Which? it was "hard to find anything in overcrowded shelves", and that it was "difficult to find staff for guidance".
Sports Direct scored 54 per cent while JD Sports and River Island managed 56.
The worst rated shops
THESE are the worst retailers to shop at according to their customers.
WH Smith – 50 per cent
Homebase/Bunnings – 53 per cent
Sports Direct – 54 per cent
JD Sports – 56 per cent
River Island – 56 per cent
New Look – 58 per cent
House of Fraser – 59 per cent
Peacocks – 59 per cent
Clinton Cards – 61 per cent
Taking the top spot was Richer Sounds, with 89 per cent, praised by shoppers for its customer service, including carrying purchases to their cars or paying for parking.
Outdoor clothing chain Rohan was second on 87 per cent and John Lewis on 86. Hotter Shoes, Lakeland and Toolstation all got 84 per cent each.
Which? Magazine editor Harry Rose said: "Worries about the future of the high street aren't going away anytime soon, but it's clear that there is still demand from shoppers for the experience and services offered by physical stores that can't always be replicated online.
"Giving shoppers a great in-store experience is more important than ever if brands want to thrive on the high street."
The top rated shops
THESE are the best retailers to shop at according to their customers.
Richer Sounds – 89 per cent
Rohan – 87 per cent
John Lewis – 86 per cent
Hotter Shoes – 84 per cent
Lakeland – 84 per cent
Toolstation – 84 per cent
Apple – 83 per cent
Bodycare – 83 per cent
Crew – 83 per cent
Screwfix – 82 per cent
Seasalt – 82 per cent
Waterstones – 82 per cent
A spokesperson for WHSmith said: "This survey accounts for the views of only 586 Which? subscribers and is neither statistically relevant nor meaningful relative to our loyal customer base.
"Every week we serve three million customers in our 600 UK high street stores and have maintained our presence on the high street where many other retailers are closing stores.
"We work hard to improve customer experiences and continue to invest in new and existing stores."
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In October, WHSmith said it'd close six stores after reporting a fall in its yearly profits.
And as recently as yesterday, it was reported that Boots is considering closing more than 200 shops.
Meanwhile, M&S plans to close 35 more stores as it pushes ahead with plans to axe 145 across the UK.
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