Shopper marketing blog

Online reviews have become one of the most powerful influences on shopper decisions. They shape trust, drive trial, and impact conversion both online and in-store. At CheckoutSmart, we analysed thousands of verified reviews from Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Tesco in 2025 to see where retailers are excelling and where improvements are needed.

Here are the key findings and what they mean for retailers.

• Fresh Reviews Drive Conversion – Sainsbury’s Leads
  Shoppers value recent reviews more than average scores. Sainsbury’s outperforms competitors with over ten times more fresh reviews than Tesco and ASDA combined. Reviews older than six months quickly lose impact and erode trust.

• ASDA’s Value Strength Needs Clearer Communication
  While ASDA has strong value credentials (5.1% positive value mentions), it lags behind Sainsbury’s (7.1%). The issue is not perception but communication. Clearer value messaging in product descriptions, promotions, and loyalty mechanics could help ASDA reclaim its price leadership.

• Tesco’s Service Challenges Hurt Trust
  Tesco’s main challenge is service, not product quality. It records the highest level of negative service mentions (2.8%), centred on out-of-stocks and delivery delays. These issues undermine trust and outweigh positive reviews. Fixing availability and delivery reliability is key to regaining shopper confidence.

1. Fresh Reviews Win the Day - Sainsbury's Leads

In online grocery, freshness is not just about produce, it is also about reviews. Shoppers place more weight on recent feedback than on average scores, making review recency a critical conversion factor.

Sainsbury’s is leading the way, with more than ten times the number of fresh reviews compared to Tesco and ASDA combined. This emphasis on up-to-date feedback builds credibility and helps reduce reliance on price cuts to drive sales. By contrast, reviews older than six months quickly lose relevance, eroding shopper trust and conversion.

Takeaway: Keeping reviews current across own-label ranges is one of the fastest ways to strengthen sales performance.

Sainsbury’s dominates on freshness, a key factor in online shopper conversion

NB This chart was produced in a few minutes using a fine-tuned AI Category model created by CheckoutSmart.

2. ASDA Has Strong Value Credentials – But Needs to Amplify Them

Value remains a decisive purchase driver in today’s price-sensitive environment. Our analysis shows ASDA receives positive value mentions in 5.1% of reviews, while Sainsbury’s edges ahead at 7.1%. That gap highlights a missed opportunity for ASDA to reinforce its price leadership.

The opportunity lies in communication. By placing stronger value cues in product descriptions, highlighting promotions more clearly online, and leveraging loyalty mechanics, ASDA can ensure its strength in value is reflected at the point of decision.

Takeaway: Clearer, more consistent value messaging can help ASDA reclaim its advantage.

NB This chart was produced in a few minutes using a fine-tuned AI Category model created by CheckoutSmart.

3. Tesco's Service Issues Are Undermining Trust

Tesco’s challenge is not product quality, but service. Our review analysis shows Tesco has the highest percentage of negative service mentions (2.8%), largely around stockouts and delivery delays. These friction points directly undermine shopper trust, particularly for core own-label SKUs.

A single poor delivery experience can outweigh multiple positive product reviews. Retailers should begin with service audits focused on high-volume SKUs, closing availability gaps and improving delivery reliability to rebuild trust.

Takeaway: Service consistency is essential if Tesco is to recover its position with shoppers.

NB This word cloud was produced in a few minutes using a fine-tuned AI Category model created by CheckoutSmart.

4. Category Winners and Product Extremes

Breaking the data down by category reveals striking contrasts:

• Sainsbury’s scores above 4.3 in almost every segment except Bakery.
  
  
• Tesco underperforms in Fresh (3.4) and Chilled (3.1), both critical for long-term loyalty.
  
  

At SKU level, the spread is even wider. For ASDA, premium lines like Exceptional Triple Chilli Sausages score an impressive 4.8, while Just Essentials Beef Mince drops to 2.1. Any product below 4.0 is at significant risk of shopper rejection, highlighting the need for reformulation or repositioning.

Takeaway: Standout SKUs can elevate a category, but underperformers quickly damage overall perception.

Our findings confirm what we consistently see: reviews are not optional. They are central to sales performance. Retailers who maintain fresh, authentic feedback build trust and outperform competitors in conversion.

This analysis was undertaken using our specially developed consumer analysis AI model. This can help even inexperienced users to make fresh, actionable conclusions in no time at all.

Ask us about building a SmartInsights category model for your business or how we can help you speed up your AI journey with practical support based on years of industry experience.

📧 If you want to understand your performance and take action where it matters most, we can help: contact us at: sales@checkoutsmart.com

We will show you:
✔ Which SKUs need review intervention
✔ Where sentiment is hurting you
✔ How to keep your reputation Always On