As you may know, I am a very loyal Asda/Wal-Mart customer. Although I have written a Ciao opinion on Asda/Wal-Mart before, I feel that I must update it, and this time, leave out the comparisons which I made with Safeway, who I may add, I currently work for.

Although I stay almost 40 miles away from my local Asda/Wal-Mart, the distance doesn’t bother me at all. In my opinion, I’d rather travel and get better quality shopping at much lower prices, than shop locally and end up paying twice sometimes three times as much as I would do if I went up to Asda/Wal-Mart.

The Asda/Wal-Mart store in Edinburgh I frequent has been upgraded to Asda/Wal-Mart SuperCentre status, and it is absolutely brilliant. I didn’t think that Asda could improve on perfection, but they certainly have.

Since Asda was taken under Wal-Mart’s mighty wing, I have noticed major changes to the store. The store has underwent a major refurbishment programme. Most in-store departments have now been expanded even further, in order to extend the range of goods available and to provide more room for the items to be displayed.

I am splitting my report into the Asda/Wal-Mart SuperCentre in Edinburgh into the following categories:

My partner and I visited the Edinburgh store last Saturday and once again were very impressed by the level of service that we received. My partner didn’t really like shopping for groceries much, as he usually shopped in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, but Asda/Wal-Mart seems to have changed him. For that I owe Asda/Wal-Mart a huge debt of gratitude.

1). Outer store: a). Car park
b). Trolley availability
2). In-store restaurant
3). General store analysis:
a). Layout
b). Cleanliness
4). Main food departments: a). Produce (fruit and vegetables)
b). Specialist counters (deli, butchery & pizza
c). Grocery
d). Alcohol
5). Non-food departments: a). Clothing
b). Entertainment (music, video, DVD & books)
c). Newspapers & magazines
d). Electrical
e). Miscellaneous
6). Store staff: a). Attitude
b). Knowledge of store products
7). Customer facilities: a). Toilets
b). Carry to car & brolly patrol
c). Facilities for disabled and elderly shoppers
8). Conclusion

1). Outer store:

Car park:

There is a massive car park at this store. There must be more than 500 spaces, including dedicated ones for the disabled, parent and child and bicycle racks. There are patrol staff on hand to find you the nearest empty space, and you don’t have to pay for parking, meaning there isn’t a limit to how much time you can spend in the store.

Trolley availability:

There is a multitude of trolleys available to choose from. These include the traditional trolley,. In small, medium, large and extra large options. These are twin seated trolleys designed for people who have two children. Disabled trolleys with modified handles to make them easier to push. Twin basket trolleys which are great for those people who don’t need a lot and for the kids, there are tiny coloured trolleys with ‘Shopper in Training’ flags in them, to make them feel as though they are helping mum and dad. Asda/Wal-Mart also offer electric scooters for customers who have difficulty walking long distances.

2). In-store restaurant

Asda/Wal-Mart’s in-store restaurant offer excellent quality food and snacks at very reasonable prices. There is a varied menu, including, soup, sandwiches, pizza, kids meals and a tempting array of desserts. The tables are well set out and your meals are brought to you.

3). General store analysis:

Store layout:

I love the layout of the main store. The store is so big that each dedicated department has ample selling space for their dedicated merchandise

Cleanliness:

The level of cleanliness in my local Asda/Wal-Mart is very high. Unlike other retail stores I’ve visited, I can say that Asda/Wal-Mart rate amongst the highest for hygiene standards. There are in-store cleaners dotted throughout the store, on hand to deal with any accidents that might happen.

4). Main food departments:

Produce: (fruit and vegetables)

Asda/Wal-Mart’s Edinburgh store offers a comprehensive of fruit and vegetables from all around the world. These are all presented in green cases and are rotated on a regular basis by member of the store produce department to ensure that customers receive the best quality goods throughout the day.

Specialist counters: (Deli, butchery, pizza, fish & Indian)

Delicatessen:

The delicatessen counter, split into sections to accommodate the different range of foods in this range, offers a fantastic selection of cheeses, cold meats, salad accompaniments and various other products from all countries, both from the UK and from selected countries worldwide.

Butchery:

Asda/Wal-Mart’s butchery counter displays a mouth-watering choice of meats, both popular and more unusual. The butchery staff are only too happy to assist you should you have any specialist requirements. Their meats are also presented in an attractive manner with clear and easy to understand pricing tickets.

Pizza:

Asda/Wal-Mart’s freshly made pizzas have won various accolades over the past few years. I can confess that they are absolutely wonderful. They have several already prepared in different sizes and bases, but their create your own are absolute bliss. They are great value with a 15” stuffed crust with four toppings only costing £3.50.

Grocery:

As expected, the range of grocery items stocked by Asda/Wal-Mart is vast. Unlike certain other supermarkets who charge different prices in different stores, Asda/Wal-Mart operate one clear pricing structure charging the same prices in every store. Their ‘Smart Price’ budget range offers excellent value across not only grocery products, but also across the non-food range as well. Asda/Wal-Mart have different special offers every week, but also have permanent offers on selected products in most ranges, for example, biscuits, juice, cold meats, etc.

Alcohol:

Asda/Wal-Mart devote several aisles to alcohol. A wide selection of red and white wine, lager, bitter, cider and spirits are always available. They are spilt into section throughout the selected aisles, with easily read shelf tags with more information on the product and for better value, special offers, e.g. BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free) make them even better value.

5). Non- food departments:

Clothing:

Asda/Wal-Mart’s George clothing range is absolutely first class. Originally the brainchild of George Davis, founder of the Next fashion chain, George has become an award winning range of quality stylish clothes at a budget price. As you’d expect, a large range of ladies, gents, kids and babies are stocked in various sizes and colours. The gents selection is amazing. You can buy a shirt and tie set for as little as £6 and trousers sell for as little as £10. Since I’ve left home, I’ve become quite domesticated, and can say that their quality is second to none. People have been shocked when I’ve told them where I’ve bought things and how much they’ve cost me. I’d highly recommend them to anyone.

Entertainment (music, video, DVD & books):

Asda/Wal-Mart has a first-class selection of the above. They are also a lot cheaper than the high street stores as Asda/Wal-Mart have a policy of not charging VAT on these products. They stock all the chart CD’s, video’s and DVD’s and sell well known favourites at much reduced prices. Books are stocked by all the top authors and the new releases are sold at prices way below the RRP (Recommended Retail Price), again due to the fact of the no VAT policy.

Newspapers and magazines:

Asda/Wal-Mart stock all the daily newspapers alongside a huge range of popular magazines and periodicals.

Electrical:

Asda/Wal-Mart’s electrical department stocks just about everything except from washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge freezers. Their video recorders and DVD players are sold for as little as £30. Their own electrical brand Pacific is very good value and again, covers the whole range, with a cordless jug kettle selling for less than £6 and a microwave for less than £30. Asda/Wal-Mart offer a 1 year guarantee on all electrical goods on sale in store regardless of manufacturer.

Miscellaneous:

As well as the above, Asda/Wal-Mart also sell a fabulous range of goods to complement every room in the home. Own brand goods are of excellent quality and very cheap. Goods for sale in the category include the following:

Bathroom:

Mats, shower curtains, accessories, bathroom cabinets and showers

Bedroom:

Quilts and quit covers, curtains, storage boxes and lamps

Kitchen:

Utensils, curtains, cutlery, crockery and appliances

6). Store Staff:

Attitude:

Asda/Wal-Mart’s staff are absolutely fantastic at their job. My partner especially was amazed at how friendly and courteous they were compared with Tesco and Sainsbury’s. In our experience, Asda/Wal-Mart staff cannot be faulted.

Knowledge of store products:

In all the times we’ve had to ask a member of staff for advice, they’ve always told us what we have wanted to know. They always take you to the product if you ask where it is and always with a smile on their face. Again another shock for my partner.

7). Customer facilities:

Toilets

Asda/Wal-Mart’s customer toilets are bright and clean. Although I can only comment on the gents, they are checked and cleaned regularly and I’ve only had cause to complain once when someone had trodden toilet paper all across the floor and it was hazardous for people to walk on. Apart from the ladies and gents, there is also a mother and baby changing facility.

Carry to car and brolly patrol

If you are alone and finding it hard to manage all you’ve bought or a parent with children, just ask a member of staff and they’ll be only too happy to assist you to your car with your shopping.

The brolly patrol are on hand to help you when the weather isn’t very kind to us (which is, lets face it, fairly regularly). Again, just ask a member of staff.

Facilities for disabled and elderly shoppers:

Asda/Wal-Mart have various facilities to make shopping easier for the disabled and the elderly. For expel they have electric shopping buggies with baskets at the front. Members of staff are available if you wish a personal hand to do your shopping and a special Braille receipt facility is being developed. There are wide-aisle checkout near the entrance for wheelchairs and access points in the restaurants.

8). Conclusion

Well there you have it, the opinion of my partner and I on Asda/Wal-Mart’s Edinburgh store. Between us, we’ve both been to a fair few supermarkets and honestly can say this is by far the best. I am aware that our opinion won’t be shared by everyone, but in our view, Asda/Wal-Mart have the right idea when it comes to retailing, and its our first choice.