Store location: East Coast Scotland
Enquiry: Vegan wholefoods
Our secret shoppers are on a regular online shopping-spree to find the best – or even the not-so-great – stores offering product sales and support via a website and social media.
First impressions
My first impressions are of a straightforward-looking website with key information clearly signposted. Important details are shown front and centre without making the homepage look too cluttered.
New and popular products are also featured on the homepage, giving me an idea of what this shop offers. I feel confident that I'll be able to find the wholefoods that I'm after here. It's also pretty easy for me to find information on the physical shop and their history.
Verdict 8/10
Website layout
Browsing further I find a good range of products including ambient food and drink, supplements, body care and household. Chilled and frozen products are available with click & collect or local delivery.
Shop categories are sensibly organised, making it quite easy to browse and find what I need. Special offers are clearly shown, although there aren't many of them on the day that I shop.
Product information is quite detailed, including ingredients and whether the product is suitable for different dietary requirements. However, some product pages unfortunately seem to have an issue with images hiding the product information when I visit them.
Verdict 7/10
Personal attention
The shop's social media pages are updated fairly often with information on new or popular products and on shop events and news.
Blog posts on the website seem to be updated less often but are well written and tie in with products available in the shop. An online chat feature is available on the website and other contact details are easy to find.
The shop also offers a loyalty scheme for regular customers and the option to sign up to their email newsletter when ordering online.
Verdict 8/10
Check out
It takes me a moment to understand how to add products to my basket from the shop category pages, but once I've understood it I find the feature straightforward to use. The shopping basket is clearly shown while browsing and easy to manage.
Checkout is also fairly straightforward, although perhaps not always 100% intuitive for me. Delivery choices (along with their costs) and payment options are shown clearly.
Delivery is very quick and I'm kept informed on the progress of my order.
Verdict 8/10
Overall impression
Overall I find this a good shopping experience, with an ordering process that feels professional and well organised.
Verdict 8/10
Total marks 39/50
Read the previous Secret Shopper report here...
The Awards are run in conjunction with the Health Food Institute and reward excellence in independent health store retailing. The winner is selected from the stores visited by the New Natural Business secret shoppers throughout the year.