The German discount chain Aldi has been named supermarket of the year by consumer group Which? – one of 14 businesses recognised for their high standards in products and customer service.
Aldi has won the award in 2009, 2012 and 2013, and this year beat off competition from Iceland, Lidl, Ocado and Waitrose, which were shortlisted, to gain the top spot.
Renowned for its flash sales of unexpected items such as ski poles as well as economically priced continental cheeses and meats, Aldi is currently the fastest growing grocer in the UK and overtook Waitrose to become the UK’s sixth largest in March.
Two companies have been crowned winners in their categories for the first time in the Which? awards – now in their ninth year. Volkswagen was named best car manufacturer and Sony clinched best audio-visual brand.
For the second year running, the award for best telecoms services provider has gone to Giffgaff, a provider that offers customers unlocked phones, handset and service charge separation, and no charge for 0800 calls. Which? has exposed the unfairness and lack of transparency in contracts on which consumers are wasting £355m a year by unwittingly paying for mobile phone handsets they have already bought.
In a rare accolade for a courier company, DPD topped the tables with a huge customer satisfaction score and all the criteria of the Which? campaign to stamp out ‘dodgy deliveries’.
This Which? made its first trusted trader of the year award, which was won by South London Heating. The award recognises traders endorsed by the Which? who have ‘gone the extra mile for their customers and achieved excellent customer reviews’.
Matthew Barnes, CEO for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Winning this award is an absolute privilege and recognises our ongoing ability to help UK shoppers save money without compromise. We’ve worked hard to show shoppers the true meaning of value, proving to them that they can have the very best quality without having to pay high prices.”
Which? group chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said a Which? award was “our way of recognising the businesses that share our ideals and offer products and services that improve their customers’ lives. Good businesses can truly be consumer champions. By treating customers fairly, businesses will be rewarded for their efforts with more confident consumers helping to drive growth in the economy.”
Business secretary Sajid Javid said: “Customers are the most important people to any business. Without customers there are no profits, no exports, no growth. The Which? awards are testament to businesses who recognise this.”
