Asda price good, service only average. (Asda)

Member Name: jessyclown

Product:	Asda
Date:	24/10/01 (276 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: price, range, parking

Disadvantages: hard to find some things, lack of service

My cupboards were bare, I could not put it off any longer, and six people would want to eat after school. I was going to have to go shopping for a major shop. I normally just take my pram to the local shops and fill it up but that would not be good enough. I was going to have to take the car!

If I take the car shopping I can go further afield, I could easily go the 6 miles to ASDA. I loaded the baby in the car and set off to fill a trolley!

When I got to the car park at ASDA I looked for the mother and child parking spaces, all full so I had to park further away and carry my toddler to the trolleys. I do not really understand why we need these special spaces, as it is not that difficult to carry babies and toddlers across to the shop. The trouble is that they are always filled up and not always with cars carrying children. I did like the look of the expectant mum spaces, which would be very useful when feeling fat and tired with a grumpy toddler in tow!

I managed to find a trolley as there are plenty just waiting to be used. The trolleys were all looking very smart and most of them have sitting spaces for 2 small children. I could have done with trolleys like that 9 years ago!

On entering the supermarket it all seems a bit disorganised, as there are special offers available on entry then you are faced with toys, clothes but where is the food. A little further exploration and the food become apparent.

The first food I found was the fruit and vegetable section. The green grocery looked fresh and well organised and the prices were a lot cheaper than Sainsburys but not as cheap as the market where I like to buy my fresh fruit and vegetables. I was impressed with the quality and price.

The range of food available in ASDA seems to be extensive as I could find every thing I needed and my trolley got full to overflowing. There are many special offers on with plenty of reduced price when buying several produc
ts.

ASDA has own brand products, which are of good quality, equivalent to branded products but at a lower price, and they have their cheap range with no frills. I was pleased to notice that the cheap products have a promise of quality as if they are not good you just need to return your unacceptable purchase to have a refund. These basic products seem to go across the whole range of products including biscuits, flour, breakfast cereal, and tins galore to name just a few.

The shop has its own pizza making area so you can take home a freshly constructed meal. There is a salad bar so you can fill a tub with your favourite salads. Fresh fish is sold by the fishmonger all the fish looked fresh and tasty. Fresh Meat is sold by the butcher. I can not vouch for the quality of these areas, as I did not buy anything from them.

For children there is a button at the milk which when pressed will make the sound of a cow mooing I am sure I saw something similar at the eggs but I am not so sure about that.

In many ways shopping in ASDA is very like shopping in most other large supermarkets. I do not find shopping to be a very pleasant experience in these shops but there are little things that help. The staff are all very friendly but I was a bit disappointed not to be offered a packer to help pack my bags, I had a trolley full to overflowing and a tetchy child and I was expected to do my own packing. I may have got help if I had asked but I never think of that. In my local supermarket I regularly get offered help with packing just because I have a child and lots of shopping.

When you have paid for all your food the café is just in front of you and is very tempting. I avoided the temptation this time but those cream cakes looked oh so good! There are even special trolley lockers so you can leave your food until you have eaten. I wonder what the café is like.

The one thing, which impressed me most about my shopping
experience at ASDA, was the overall cost. My over full trolley load of food cost me £60.60 and I got plenty to last us for a week for most things.

Summary: