Local Heros: Retail does a top job in the crisis

Food retailers, but also drugstores and pharmacies, are well positioned in the crisis. However, the best ratings go to the local heroes: bakeries, butchers and fruit and vegetable retailers.

Normally, around 3,800 mystery shoppers nationwide test, observe and document what is happening in retail for us and our customers. In the Corona crisis, we also ask the mystery shoppers about their experiences in the context of private purchases. The first results: 80 percent of the retailers have their shops well under control despite the rush: the supply situation is better than the pictures in social media suggest. How the individual, system-relevant retail segments are doing from the point of view of our professional POS observers:

Local Heros (specialist food shops)

Bakeries, butchers and greengrocers are the local heroes. With their fresh, regional offers and the high availability of goods (91 percent), they get top marks from the Bonsai testers in the crisis: 83 percent think that these traders do a (very) good job overall. The mood of the employees is rated positively by 98 percent - more is hardly possible.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets

Almost 80 percent of the testers attest that the grocers - especially Edeka and Rewe - are in control of the situation and even provide a positive shopping atmosphere.

Discounter

Some discounters like Netto and Norma had a harder time at first. Aldi and Lidl, however, almost made it into the league of Edeka and Rewe. More than three quarters of the mystery shoppers rated the shops as tidy, controlled and well managed.

Drugstores

85 percent of the Bonsai testers attest the drugstores good management. The availability of goods is also rated as (very) good by 55 percent - this puts drugstores slightly ahead of supermarkets and discounters. 

Pharmacies 

Pharmacies seem to have reacted very well to the big rush of the last two weeks. "Everything is under control," confirm 95 percent of Bonsai shoppers. Even though some disinfectants and protective masks were quickly sold out, 85 percent of the Bonsai testers rated the overall availability of goods as very good.

Conclusion: 

Retail is highly praised by the mystery shoppers - across all system-relevant sectors. The sales staff in particular receive top marks. The short-lived "toilet paper crisis" has no negative impact on the ratings of the shops and the staff. Dirk Hamann

Thank you to Germany's vendors!