Supermarkets and discounters in the Mystery Check

First, some good news: The mystery shoppers of Bonsai observe that customers in retail are increasingly adhering to protective measures: In November, more than 82 percent of the mystery shoppers said that all shoppers consistently wear masks - in August, it was still less than three quarters. However, only one third of the mystery shoppers (35 percent) can confirm that the required distance is always and everywhere observed, although discipline is also tending to increase here (previously 28 percent). Overall, the mystery shoppers experience that their fellow customers are less relaxed (minus 10 percentage points) and less carefree (minus 13 percentage points) than in September.

This year, the 3,800 mystery shoppers from Bonsai not only tested the retail trade on behalf of customers - they also provided information in online surveys about how they experience the retail trade (and its customers). Already in spring, satisfaction with the individual retail channels was compared on this basis (Local Heroes: Retail does a top job in the crisis)

How mysteryshoppersexperience their shopping
In the current survey waves (August, September, November), six dimensions were asked of mystery shoppers from Bonsai - separately for the individual retail channels and their major chain stores.  

Considered across all dimensions, the supermarket chains were rated significantly worse in September than in August, but were able to improve their results by November, in some cases significantly (Edeka).

The trend among discounters is negative: "With the exception of Aldi Süd, the discounters perform worse with each wave," explains Andreas Giebel, head of the Mystery Shopping department at Bonsai: "The other discounters lose between six and ten percent of their top 2 ratings overall - across all dimensions." 

In addition to supermarkets and discounters, the mystery shoppers from Bonsai also evaluated chain stores in the areas of drugstores, electronics and DIY stores, opticians, fashion and furniture stores. The online surveys with between 500 and 700 mystery shoppers are of course not representative. As professional PoS observers, the Bonsai mystery shoppers have a trained eye and are used to dealing with complex questions that would overwhelm "normal" consumers. 

About Bonsai Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping has been one of the most important business areas of Bonsai since its foundation in 2004. 3,800 experienced mystery shoppers are regularly on duty for us. Our clients include food retailers, the automotive sector, banks and insurance companies.

Contact: Andreas Giebel