![[Interview] Danielle Sones, Managing Director of ABa Quality Monitoring](https://www.theretailbulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CCR_SPEAKER_TEMPLATE_Danielle-Sones.jpg)
[Interview] Danielle Sones, Managing Director of ABa Quality Monitoring
Why Mystery Shopping is Back at the Heart of Retail Performance
The Retail Bulletin sat down with Danielle Sones, Managing Director of ABa, to discuss the company’s renewed strategic focus on mystery shopping, the return of long‑standing clients, and why consistency remains the foundation of retail success.
Subscribe to TRBThis conversation took place shortly after ABa welcomed back its very first retail client, a moment that marked a symbolic full circle for the business.
A Strategic Return to ABa’s Core Strengths
TRB: ABa has intentionally strengthened its commitment to mystery shopping as its core service in a very deliberate way. What prompted this renewed focus?
Danielle: Over the past year we took a clear, strategic decision to increase our focus on mystery shopping. It’s always been where our core strength is, our history comes from, and our uniqueness lies. And it’s paying off! Once we reset our focus, the demand grew across several industries. Retail has been particularly strong. It has been encouraging to see how many organisations want support that genuinely helps frontline teams deliver on their service promise.
TRB: You also shared a lovely milestone. Your first retail client returned?
Danielle: Yes. In 1995, we placed our first and only advert and secured our first Retail client. We worked with this well-known High-Street retailer for 5+years before they moved away from mystery shopping. At the end of last year, they came back to us; it started with a small pilot and quickly moved to a full estate programme. It felt like a real full‑circle moment for us and affirmed that our renewed focus is absolutely the right direction.
Being an Extension of the Operations Team
TRB: One thing you emphasise is the way ABa integrates with client teams. What does that look like?
Danielle: We work as an extension of their operational teams. It is not about handing over a score and walking away. We support frontline and operational leaders to bring their brand promise to life in a clear and consistent way. When clients see us as part of their team rather than an external assessor, the impact is far greater.
Why Mystery Shopping Should Be Seen as a Strategic Driver
TRB: Many retailers still see mystery shopping as a compliance exercise. You often talk about a mindset shift. Can you expand on that?
Danielle: Mystery shopping can support compliance, of course, but its true value sits in operational performance. When retailers use it to embed strategy, communicate their service vision, and deliver consistency, that is when it becomes powerful. Those who approach it as a tool for driving operational excellence, customer loyalty and conversion always see a return on investment.
How ABa’s Approach Sets It Apart
TRB: How does ABa’s approach differ from traditional mystery shopping programmes?
Danielle: Transparency is central to how we work. We make every element of the programme clear and accessible, so frontline teams understand the expectations. There should be no surprises.
We also build bespoke reporting platforms for each client and can integrate all relevant business and customer metrics. Our aim is to create one source of truth. We have been fortunate to have that technology recognised with industry awards.
And importantly, we celebrate success. Mystery shopping should not be fault‑finding. It should support teams, build confidence, and reinforce good practice. Positioning it positively makes a significant difference.
Consistency: The Foundation of Trust
TRB: You often emphasise consistency as the true differentiator in retail. Why is it so important?
Danielle: The retailers who perform best are the ones who deliver a consistent experience across every touchpoint, every time. When the product, service and ease of interaction are the same regardless of location or channel, customers know they can trust the brand. Trust leads to loyalty, and loyalty leads to sales. John Lewis is a great example of a brand that lives its promise in every interaction.
Retailers Who Are Excelling in Customer Engagement
TRB: Can you share some examples of retailers using mystery shopping in a particularly effective way?
Danielle: Fortnum & Mason is a great example. They treat mystery shopping as business as usual, and their ‘Exceptional Service Programme’ provides the framework to support and engage their frontline teams in the consistency delivery of excellence. Weekly results create a steady rhythm of feedback which keeps service culture front of mind.
A leading luxury beauty brand also stands out. They use a defined service framework shaped by both the founder’s vision and customer feedback and then embed this globally through mystery shopping. What began in the UK is now being used in more than fifteen countries because it continues to support both sales and service consistency.
Both organisations use their data positively as part of coaching and performance conversations. Mystery shopping complements voice of customer surveys, giving teams practical insight into what customers experience day to day.
Using Feedback to Inform Strategy and Mystery Shopping to Embed It
TRB: What should retailers understand about the relationship between customer feedback and mystery shopping?
Danielle: They serve different but complementary roles. Customer feedback informs the strategy. Mystery shopping embeds it. When you embed consistency, you build trust, and that trust drives loyalty, footfall and growth.
TRB: That is a key point for our upcoming conference. Strategy starts with listening but is only realised when it is lived on the shop floor.
Danielle: Exactly. Mystery shopping is how the strategy becomes real for customers.
Join Danielle and her team at the Customer Centric Retail Conference on the 4th March 2026 where Danielle will be taking to the stage with a panel of retailers to share further.
