Grocer Gold Awards 2022: store manager of the year

Winner: Rebecca Taylor - Tesco Toxteth

When Rebecca Taylor joined Tesco Extra in Toxteth just over a year ago, she faced a dire challenge. It was located in a troubled area of Liverpool known for knife and gun crime, and shoplifting was a real issue. Rebecca found staff and customers often felt unsafe, so she made their safety her priority.

She introduced bodycams for workers, partnered with local police to share CCTV footage, and boosted the police presence throughout the store. To tackle shoplifting, she trained staff how to de-escalate conflict situations without putting themselves at risk.

The results were clear. After just one year, customer recommendations were up 6% and colleague recommendation up 8%, according to a Tesco survey.

Her focus now is on improving the branch’s trading position amid the cost of living crisis. She is passionate about educating colleagues on how to relay the message to shoppers that Tesco offers competitive prices, and says it’s vital that colleagues are able to help customers get the best deals both in store and online.

Rebecca says she has won her colleague’s respect for being an “extremely approachable” manager constantly visible on the shop floor. As Tesco itself recognises: “She puts people first always and gives them time, belief, and confidence that ­anyone can do anything.”

So if she were Tesco CEO for a day? “I’d focus on the basics: availability, service, standards.”

 

The finalists:

Joe Young - Aldi Northumberland Park, Newcastle

Winner: 25 September 2021

 

 

Colette McSorley - Asda New Mart Road, Edinburgh

Winner: 20 November 2021

 

Ryan John - Morrisons Pentre-chwyth, Swansea

Winner: 24 July 2021

 

Jon Pearcey - Waitrose Churchill Way, Salisbury

Winner: 27 November 2021

 

Sarah Brown - Sainsbury’s Darnley, Glasgow

Winner: 13 March 2021

How the store manager of the year winner was decided

The six store managers were nominated by their respective supermarkets from their pool of winners of the annual Grocer 33 Store of the Week competition. They each made a 10-minute presentation on why they should win, before being grilled for a further 10 minutes by a distinguished panel of judges comprising: Mike Baker, ex-JOB TITLE, Budgens; Ronnie Gottsclich, ex-CEO, Lidl; Lorraine Hendle, managing director of retail, manufacturing and hospitality at William Reed; Amanda Jones, retail and franchise network director, the Post Office; Adam Leyland, editor-in-chief, The Grocer. This year, the panel was particularly interested in how entrants have managed the cost of living crisis, availability issues, and staff safety and mental health.