WHSmith finishes bottom in Which? High St stores survey

WHSmith has been voted as the worst High Street store in a Which? survey of more than 7,700 shoppers.

The retailer was criticised for poor value for money, poor in-store experience and service, and for its stores being "cramped and messy". Its customer score of 50% put it below Homebase on 53% and Sports Direct on 54%.

But WHSmith said the research was "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."

Richer Sounds was named best retailer with a customer score of 89%, ahead of Rohan (87%) and John Lewis (86%). It was praised for its in-store experience and for services such as having purchases carried to customers’ cars and paying for their parking.

"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,” says Harry Rose of Which?

"Giving shoppers a great in-store experience is more important than ever if brands want to thrive on the High Street. Our findings go to show that, if retailers can deliver great value, quality products and first-class customer service, customers will keep coming back."