They are not exactly household names, unless you spend your weekends in the shed or fiddling with your surround-sound speakers, but an influential shopper survey has named Toolstation and Richer Sounds as the UK’s most highly-rated shops.
The two retailers were ranked joint first, ahead of customer service luminaries Apple and department store chain John Lewis, in the poll of 10,000 shoppers by consumer group Which?.
While Richer Sounds’ customers raved about customer service and their “trust” in the brand, DIY enthusiasts said Toolstation’s Argos-style stores were cheaper than big shed rivals such as B&Q.
“The best retailers, Richer Sounds and Toolstation, continue to strike the right balance by selling quality products at reasonable prices,” said Richard Headland, editor of Which?. “It’s a simple formula but that’s why they consistently score well with shoppers.”
The wooden spoon went to supermarket Morrisons, which finished last despite its improving financial performance under chief executive David Potts. Rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s also finished in the bottom half of the table while WH Smith was one rung off the bottom.
A surprise climber was upmarket department store Harvey Nichols which was the fastest riser, jumping from 21st to third place on the top 100 list.
Bookseller Waterstones also returned to the top five for the first time since 2014.
The customer scores are based on satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending each shop.
Richer Sounds’ chairman, David Robinson, said its long-running success was down to a mantra that put “people before profits”.
He said: “We are among a handful of high street retailers to pay the real living wage. It’s about being an ethical employer and business … we want our customers to get a good deal but not at the expense of our people.”
The hi-fi and TV specialist was founded by influential business guru Julian Richer, who has promised to hand his business to his employees through a trust model similar to that of John Lewis when he dies. It has 53 stores and made an operating profit of £9m on sales of £186m last year. It donates 15% of its profits to charity while shopfloor staff enjoy John Lewis-style perks such as subsidised holiday homes in the UK and European cities Paris and Venice.
For Britons who never pick up a screwdriver or drill, the Toolstation brand, which is owned by listed group Travis Perkins, will be a surprise winner. It has 250 small, Argos-style stores, where tradesmen and DIYers pick products including its popular “bog in a box” from a catalogue before placing their order at a counter.
Toolstation marketing director John Meaden said it had two types of customers – tradesmen and “wannabe” tradesmen. “We appeal to savvy householders who are capable enough to do a job themselves and want to buy same products as a tradesman,” he said. “They can walk in and buy a toilet and basin for under £100 and be out the door in 10 minutes.”
For one Toolstation customer, the appeal is simple: “It has very good prices on exactly the same items that cost a lot more at other retailers.”
