Store location: Kent
Enquiry: Menopause support
Our Secret Shopper continues her hunt for health stores with an online shop.
First impressions
I arrive on a fairly simple looking site using a responsive design. The homepage displays a selection of new and popular products.
Product search is clearly shown and the website menu is fairly intuitive. I find the shop's contact details and opening hours OK – but I don't spot much information about the physical shop itself.
There's nothing that really 'wows' me at first sight – but I think I should be able to find the type of supplement that I'm after.
Verdict 7/10
Website layout
The online shop stocks lots of supplements and herbal products along with natural bodycare and gifts. There's an option to browse by health topic which I find very helpful. Searching for products also works quickly and is aided by filtering options to narrow the choice down.
Most products that I look at have fairly detailed descriptions, although some are missing ingredient or dietary information which I would find useful.
Verdict 8/10
Personal attention
Blog posts, videos and recipes are shown across the website, helping to make it feel more personal – although I sometimes find them slightly distracting. These tie in with the shop's regular social media activity. The option to sign up to email marketing is shown clearly on the website homepage and during checkout. There's no online chat option but there is a contact form for queries.
Verdict 8/10
Check out
The free delivery threshold for online orders is shown prominently – but it's a bit trickier to find further details of delivery costs and times. When I do find this it's clearly explained though.
I encounter a long checkout form which is a bit off-putting at first glance but turns out to be quite easy to use. Payment for my order is available via a choice of well-known providers. My order is delivered swiftly and packed well.
Verdict 8/10
Overall impression
Overall, I find this to be a decent online shop – it's pretty straightforward to browse their products and order the type of supplement I'm looking for. It would be lovely to be able to find out a bit more about their physical shop, too.
Verdict 8/10
Total marks 39/50
Read the previous Secret Shopper report here...
The Awards are run in conjunction with the Health Food Institute and reward excellence in independent health store retailing. The winner is selected from the stores visited by the New Natural Business secret shoppers throughout the year.