Department store group John Lewis has been voted the UK’s favourite retailer for the fourth year in a row.

A Verdict Research poll of more than 6000 consumers rated the retailer highly for service, where it received double the score of any rival, apart from its sister company Waitrose (which came third in the poll).

John Lewis not only topped the main poll in Verdict’s Consumer Satisfaction Index 2011 but also the sector poll for electricals, with Asda listed as second and Amazon third.

“This year’s winners tend to be retailers that focus heavily on price or retailers that add a lot of value to their offers,” said Verdict consulting director Neil Saunders.

“They reflect the fact that consumers are increasingly looking for value for money during these constrained times.”

Of John Lewis’s poll-topping performance, Mr Saunders said: “John Lewis’s formula for success is tantalizingly simple: great service, broad and compelling ranges, superior quality, and honest and fair pricing. But it’s a model that’s extremely difficult to emulate.”

He added: “The result is that John Lewis makes consumers feel good about shopping, it delivers value over and above the physical purchase.”

Besides John Lewis and Waitrose, the remaining retailers listed in Verdict’s top five were Ikea (second), Superdrug (fourth) and Amazon (fifth).