The Accessibility Gaps Hiding in Plain Sight: What Sainsbury’s Trustpilot Reviews Revealed
Customer reviews are often seen as a way to measure satisfaction, flag service failures, or track reputation. But they can also reveal something less obvious, real-world accessibility barriers that impact how people experience a service day to day.
​
I wanted to explore how effectively these gaps show up in customer feedback, so I ran a simple two-step process using Sainsbury’s Trustpilot reviews as an example.
First, I analysed a batch of reviews from March, focusing on recurring themes where customers mentioned in-store accessibility challenges. Then, I revisited each issue through a broader lens by asking: how might this same problem affect someone with a different kind of access need than the one originally described?
​
Some themes were expected. Customers frequently mentioned broken toilets or escalators, common complaints that are already widely recognised as accessibility issues. But others were more subtle. Everyday moments that don’t always register as access barriers until you pause to look at them from someone else’s perspective.
Here are the 6 key themes that emerged:
​1) Returning £1 deposit trolleys is harder than it seems
To retrieve the £1 deposit, customers must return the trolley and slot it into another, which often means walking all the way back to the store entrance. For people with limited mobility, fatigue, or young children, this extra step can be a real challenge. What’s more, these same customers are often choosing the smaller trolleys precisely because they’re easier to manoeuvre and load. So the very tool meant to improve accessibility ends up creating a new barrier at the end of the shop.
​
2) SmartShop systems can quietly exclude
SmartShop is meant to make shopping quicker and more convenient. But for customers who rely on it for cognitive accessibility, including those with anxiety, autism, or memory challenges, its reliability is crucial. When there’s poor signal, no in-store WiFi, or no scanner-compatible trolleys available, the entire system breaks down. What might be a minor inconvenience for one customer becomes a significant barrier for someone who depends on SmartShop to plan and manage their shop calmly.
​
3) Layout changes disrupt more than convenience
When stores change their layouts or move products around without clear signage, it doesn’t just cause frustration. It creates real accessibility issues. Shoppers who are visually impaired, neurodivergent, or who rely on routine to navigate independently can find these changes disorienting and stressful. For them, familiar store layouts are not just convenient, they are essential.
​
4) Restocking can block more than shelves
Aisles may technically be wide enough, but during peak restocking times, they can become difficult to navigate. Stock cages, boxes, and staff trolleys left in walkways can turn a routine shopping trip into an obstacle course. This is especially true for elderly shoppers, wheelchair users, or anyone using mobility aids who may not be able to reroute easily.
5) Poor toilet facilities limit who can comfortably shop
​Clean, available toilets are essential for many disabled customers, people with medical conditions, or carers shopping with dependents. When toilets are out of order or in poor condition, it not only causes discomfort, it can make the store an unviable option altogether. It’s a basic service that has a disproportionately large impact on accessibility.
6) Broken escalators without alternatives
Several reviews mentioned escalators being out of order without clear access to a working lift. For customers using wheelchairs, pushchairs, or anyone with reduced mobility, this can prevent them from entering the store at all.​
​​​​
Final thoughts
When we start reading reviews through an accessibility lens, we begin to uncover friction points that often go unnoticed. And once we see them, we can start designing for a broader range of needs, not just the ones that are easiest to spot.
​​​Get in Touch
This accessibility deep dive is just one example of the kind of insight that can be uncovered when you look at customer reviews a little differently. I specialise in analysing Trustpilot reviews to identify patterns, pain points, and opportunities that often go unnoticed, from usability and service friction to unmet expectations and untapped ideas.
​
If you’re curious about what your reviews might really be telling you, I’d love to chat.
Email jen@offthebenchux.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn
View my Trustpilot Services