With Edinburgh Castle on one side and the majestic steeples of Fettes College on the other, Waitrose certainly chose a beautiful spot to open one of its first two Scottish branches last May, but winning this week's Top Store award proves its Comely Bank branch is more than a pretty face. The 23,500 sq ft outlet impressed our shopper with its quality selection of fresh produce, knowledgeable staff and samples of hot mince pies and cream and Scotch whisky. It also managed to provide a full basket of goods - an area in which Waitrose sometimes struggles. Store manager John Taylor was not surprised that CACI data found Waitrose to be the best-suited store to the Comely Bank area of Edinburgh, with 73% of residents in the urban prosperity category. "It's a lovely location. Fettes College - where Tony Blair went to school - was nicknamed Hogwarts by partners when we moved in 18 months ago and Comely Bank fits the Waitrose brand well," he said. "Waitrose was waiting for the perfect location to become available - in this case a former Somerfield site - for its Scottish launch. " Taylor's branch opened at the same time with Waitrose Morningside on the other side of Edinburgh, which he said was also doing well. But, he added, the Comely Bank store had the added advantage of a fantastic location. "We have a couple from Inverness who do a regular round trip of 300 miles for their fortnightly shop!"
Scotland's only other Waitrose is two miles away from you - isn't that annoying? Not at all - myself and the Morningside Waitrose store manager enjoy a fantastic rivalry. They enjoy a more established sales base because of the popularity of the store it replaced, but business is booming here and sales are up 15% on last year. We are both rather isolated from the company up here and both stores have a great working relationship. Does the isolation bring logistical problems? Our nearest distribution centre is in Bardon, Leicestershire, which is 300 miles and an eight-hour drive away. We are also located in a residential area and cannot receive deliveries between 8pm and 8am, which is quite restricting - especially when your fresh produce has to be on the shelves for an 8.30am opening. It's all hands to deck at that time of the morning. Which products are selling well at the moment? Local produce is very popular, and the cold weather has seen soups, stews and other comfort food fly off the shelves. People are more prepared to trade up to premium wine here as well and year-on-year sales for wine have gone up 70% thanks to our promotions. But we have a real mix of shoppers. They appreciate different elements of Waitrose, from the food and provenance to the ethical thinking behind the Waitrose partnership. Were you welcomed by other local businesses? It was a mixed response but we are now bringing people to the area and footfall has increased for local businesses. We set our car park waiting time to two hours, giving shoppers an opportunity to visit neighbouring shops. Local businesses, suppliers and customers will also be thanked at our Christmas evening in which we entertain them with food, drink and a choir after the store closes. We received a fantastic reaction when we did it for the first time last Christmas.
Availability
Asda Robroyston, Glasgow
0 - This Asda had all the credentials to become our Top Store of the week with a strong level of availability, full basket of goods and a variety of special offers. Our Glaswegian shopper described the checkout staff as "exceptionally efficient" and there were enough tills open to process queues quickly. We visited on 23 November at 10.15am. Our shop lasted one hour and 16 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was four minutes.
morrisons Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
1 - Our shopper found it easy to locate all of the products but a member of staff personally guided her to one item and asked if he could be of any further help. There were lots of bogof offers and the aisles were free of packing trolleys. Although the Kellogg's Variety Pack was out of stock, shelves were generally gap-free. We visited on 23 November at 12.04pm. Our shop lasted 50 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes 30 seconds.
sainsbury's St Albans, Hertfordshire
2 - Brightly lit and with an attractive and welcoming entrance, this Sainsbury's was a well-maintained and cheerful store. Staff were quick to help and the aisles were tidy and clear. The granulated sugar and Mr Kipling apple pies were out of stock and the checkout operator added an incorrect item to the list but quickly cancelled it. We visited on 23 November at 12.55pm. Our shop lasted 55 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was seven minutes.
somerfield New Malden, Surrey
4 - A cheerful member of staff was sweeping the aisles with a broom when our shopper arrived. However, though the shop was tidy, there were several gaps on shelves and the Kingsmill loaf, Wall's Viennetta, turkey and Amoy noodles were sold out. Staff were ignoring a gang of teenagers who had gathered in the alcohol aisles. We visited on 23 November at 7.15pm. Our shop lasted 32 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.
tesco Oldham, Lancashire
1 - Standards were also high at this busy Tesco in the Chadderton area of Oldham. All 29 checkouts were operating to cope with the mass of shoppers and the store was logically laid out and spotlessly clean. Our shopper was highly impressed by the variety and quantity of special offers and the chirpy staff. The Twix biscuits were sold out. We visited on 23 November at 11.35am. Our shop lasted one hour and eight minutes. Time spent at the checkout was three minutes.
waitrose Comely Bank, Edinburgh
0 - Our Edinburgh shopper was bowled over by this week's Top Store. Products were logically grouped together, fixtures were gleaming and the staff were warm and polite. All 33 items were available and samples of mince pies, cream and whisky added the finishing touch. We visited on 23 November at 12.00pm. Our shop lasted 40 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.
Q&A with John Taylor Store manager of the week
Scotland's only other Waitrose is two miles away from you - isn't that annoying? Not at all - myself and the Morningside Waitrose store manager enjoy a fantastic rivalry. They enjoy a more established sales base because of the popularity of the store it replaced, but business is booming here and sales are up 15% on last year. We are both rather isolated from the company up here and both stores have a great working relationship. Does the isolation bring logistical problems? Our nearest distribution centre is in Bardon, Leicestershire, which is 300 miles and an eight-hour drive away. We are also located in a residential area and cannot receive deliveries between 8pm and 8am, which is quite restricting - especially when your fresh produce has to be on the shelves for an 8.30am opening. It's all hands to deck at that time of the morning. Which products are selling well at the moment? Local produce is very popular, and the cold weather has seen soups, stews and other comfort food fly off the shelves. People are more prepared to trade up to premium wine here as well and year-on-year sales for wine have gone up 70% thanks to our promotions. But we have a real mix of shoppers. They appreciate different elements of Waitrose, from the food and provenance to the ethical thinking behind the Waitrose partnership. Were you welcomed by other local businesses? It was a mixed response but we are now bringing people to the area and footfall has increased for local businesses. We set our car park waiting time to two hours, giving shoppers an opportunity to visit neighbouring shops. Local businesses, suppliers and customers will also be thanked at our Christmas evening in which we entertain them with food, drink and a choir after the store closes. We received a fantastic reaction when we did it for the first time last Christmas.
Availability
Asda Robroyston, Glasgow
0 - This Asda had all the credentials to become our Top Store of the week with a strong level of availability, full basket of goods and a variety of special offers. Our Glaswegian shopper described the checkout staff as "exceptionally efficient" and there were enough tills open to process queues quickly. We visited on 23 November at 10.15am. Our shop lasted one hour and 16 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was four minutes.
morrisons Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
1 - Our shopper found it easy to locate all of the products but a member of staff personally guided her to one item and asked if he could be of any further help. There were lots of bogof offers and the aisles were free of packing trolleys. Although the Kellogg's Variety Pack was out of stock, shelves were generally gap-free. We visited on 23 November at 12.04pm. Our shop lasted 50 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes 30 seconds.
sainsbury's St Albans, Hertfordshire
2 - Brightly lit and with an attractive and welcoming entrance, this Sainsbury's was a well-maintained and cheerful store. Staff were quick to help and the aisles were tidy and clear. The granulated sugar and Mr Kipling apple pies were out of stock and the checkout operator added an incorrect item to the list but quickly cancelled it. We visited on 23 November at 12.55pm. Our shop lasted 55 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was seven minutes.
somerfield New Malden, Surrey
4 - A cheerful member of staff was sweeping the aisles with a broom when our shopper arrived. However, though the shop was tidy, there were several gaps on shelves and the Kingsmill loaf, Wall's Viennetta, turkey and Amoy noodles were sold out. Staff were ignoring a gang of teenagers who had gathered in the alcohol aisles. We visited on 23 November at 7.15pm. Our shop lasted 32 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.
tesco Oldham, Lancashire
1 - Standards were also high at this busy Tesco in the Chadderton area of Oldham. All 29 checkouts were operating to cope with the mass of shoppers and the store was logically laid out and spotlessly clean. Our shopper was highly impressed by the variety and quantity of special offers and the chirpy staff. The Twix biscuits were sold out. We visited on 23 November at 11.35am. Our shop lasted one hour and eight minutes. Time spent at the checkout was three minutes.
waitrose Comely Bank, Edinburgh
0 - Our Edinburgh shopper was bowled over by this week's Top Store. Products were logically grouped together, fixtures were gleaming and the staff were warm and polite. All 33 items were available and samples of mince pies, cream and whisky added the finishing touch. We visited on 23 November at 12.00pm. Our shop lasted 40 minutes. Time spent at the checkout was five minutes.
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