The fact that a lot of the customers visiting the new Rogerstone store in South Wales may not even have heard of the company before does not seem to have had any effect on its popularity. "Before we opened there were next to no preconceptions about us ­ some people had never even heard of Morrisons," says general manager Simon Brown. "We did a lot of advertising ­ radio, local press, billboards and buses ­ but I think simple word of mouth that there's something different in the area has been the most effective." Dual English/Welsh language signage is used at key points throughout the store, and Brown says the 400 staff and 47 managers and supervisers were all recruited locally. The 70,000 sq ft store, which opened on November 5, is the second owned by the company to open in the region over the last couple of months and is going head to head against the local Asda and Tesco. As part of building good relations with the local community, Brown says he has made the store's facilities available to the local police force who can now come in and take advantage of the staff canteen. Sited near Newport, the store features a petrol station and has become a destination supermarket, says Brown, attracting shoppers from considerable distances. The Market Street concept of all Morrisons stores is positioned as the first visible feature to shoppers upon entering, with carefully positioned angled lighting drawing attention to the standout displays. Included in the range of traditional-looking counters is a working fishmonger, butcher and baker, fresh baked pie stand, salad bar and delicatessen. Specially constructed fixtures have also been developed to best display fresh fruit like mangoes, pineapples and bananas and, Brown adds, to keep them at their freshest. Brown says fresh food is a vital part of the offering: "We aim to provide top quality fresh food, and that's not just paying lip service. Everything is selected carefully and handled well." As part of that commitment to freshness, many of the products are produced instore, from sandwiches and pizzas to loaves and doughnuts, and this is something popular with customers, who, Brown says, often stand and watch the products being made. He says everything prepared must be sold that day and nothing is held over: "Nothing fresh is carried over to the next day, and that's a huge management challenge. "We need to maintain good availability, but don't want to throw stuff away. The trick is to bake little and often." Brown says availability is also a vital factor with staff striving to ensure shelves are always well stocked. "We will chase and hound until we get that product out on the shelves, even if that means ringing one of the directors or head buyers." He adds that the managers and supervisers are all encouraged to spend as much time as possible out on the shop floor rather than in a backroom office: "I've never spent so much time at the coalface before and it gives us a real handle on what's happening in the store." For customers who are reluctant to approach the delicatessen counter, there is a special express stand featuring pre-packed products from the counter, which Brown says has proved a big hit: "It's a real struggle just to keep it stocked." A mixture of bogof, three for two and percentage offers are sprinkled around the store, highlighted at gondola ends, and a dedicated alcohol section features special lighting units mounted on wooden panels which Brown describes as "magic carpets". And, for shoppers looking to take a break, the store features a customers' café, with hot meals freshly prepared and brought straight to the table. {{SPOTLIGHT }}

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