Well-stocked shelves and strong service at Asda in High Wycombe impressed our shopper.
No items were out of stock and only the own-label baking potatoes were not stocked. An assistant working on the bread counter was given a special mention for providing outstanding service and helping to direct our shopper around the store.
Sainsbury's in Gateshead also boasted good availability this week but our shopper had difficulty finding products, especially in the men's section. Although the staff were willing to help, they were let down by a lack of store knowledge.
At Morrisons in Hyde, only the rocket salad was out of stock. Our shopper described the service he received at the checkout as excellent, but was less impressed by the large number of promotions, which dominated the aisles and made the store feel crowded.
Waitrose in Burgess Hill was criticised for its car park, where spaces reserved for mothers shopping with children were not clearly signposted. Our shopper was disappointed that the store, which offers regular samplings, had no World Cup samples on offer. The premium white finger rolls and own-label raisins were out of stock.
At Tesco in Swansea, the aisles were untidy and low in stock and our shopper noted nine abandoned trolleys that needed attending to. The Carte d'Or, own-label baking potatoes and own-label rocket salad were all out of stock.
Winner: Ken McCorriston, general store manager, Asda, High Wycombe
What promotions have proved particularly successful recently? We recently held a baby event showcasing more than 100 different products. It attracted new customers to the store, but it also reiterated our value/quality proposition to existing shoppers.
Rollback continues to be a key driver in promotions such as this; one of the most popular offers gave customers £50 off baby car seats, taking the £90 price tag down to less than half price. It was a fantastic deal that gave mums a real reason to talk about us.
What will the store be doing to cash in on the World Cup? More Rollbacks, particularly on our non-food offering. From the 23 May customers can expect to see some unbelievable offers, two of which will be TVs reduced from £325 to £277 and World Cup-inspired t-shirts down to as little as £4. Food-wise, we'll be working with suppliers to push their on-pack promotions, but we expect the bulk of extra sales and traffic to come from our non-food aisles.
Will staff be joining in with the customers' football fever? All 550 of us will be paying £1 to wear our footie shirts for a day and raise money for our Tickled Pink campaign. I'll definitely be wearing my St George's flag with pride.
How much freedom do you get from head office to schedule this sort of event and incentivise staff? Lots. I've been managing the branch for just five weeks and we've already made a huge step change in service and availability thanks to the flexibility I was given from the start. Knowing it's possible to make positive changes fast has really boosted the atmosphere. While great principles start at head office, having a team with the right attitude is something that has to be fostered by individual managers.
Do you plan to make any changes to the store? The branch had a major refit about eight months ago, which resolved a number of areas that needed improving, so I think we're in pretty good shape. Our world food aisle now has a broader range of products from a greater number of destinations and we've added an additional four bays to our free-from food offering.
No items were out of stock and only the own-label baking potatoes were not stocked. An assistant working on the bread counter was given a special mention for providing outstanding service and helping to direct our shopper around the store.
Sainsbury's in Gateshead also boasted good availability this week but our shopper had difficulty finding products, especially in the men's section. Although the staff were willing to help, they were let down by a lack of store knowledge.
At Morrisons in Hyde, only the rocket salad was out of stock. Our shopper described the service he received at the checkout as excellent, but was less impressed by the large number of promotions, which dominated the aisles and made the store feel crowded.
Waitrose in Burgess Hill was criticised for its car park, where spaces reserved for mothers shopping with children were not clearly signposted. Our shopper was disappointed that the store, which offers regular samplings, had no World Cup samples on offer. The premium white finger rolls and own-label raisins were out of stock.
At Tesco in Swansea, the aisles were untidy and low in stock and our shopper noted nine abandoned trolleys that needed attending to. The Carte d'Or, own-label baking potatoes and own-label rocket salad were all out of stock.
Winner: Ken McCorriston, general store manager, Asda, High Wycombe
What promotions have proved particularly successful recently? We recently held a baby event showcasing more than 100 different products. It attracted new customers to the store, but it also reiterated our value/quality proposition to existing shoppers.
Rollback continues to be a key driver in promotions such as this; one of the most popular offers gave customers £50 off baby car seats, taking the £90 price tag down to less than half price. It was a fantastic deal that gave mums a real reason to talk about us.
What will the store be doing to cash in on the World Cup? More Rollbacks, particularly on our non-food offering. From the 23 May customers can expect to see some unbelievable offers, two of which will be TVs reduced from £325 to £277 and World Cup-inspired t-shirts down to as little as £4. Food-wise, we'll be working with suppliers to push their on-pack promotions, but we expect the bulk of extra sales and traffic to come from our non-food aisles.
Will staff be joining in with the customers' football fever? All 550 of us will be paying £1 to wear our footie shirts for a day and raise money for our Tickled Pink campaign. I'll definitely be wearing my St George's flag with pride.
How much freedom do you get from head office to schedule this sort of event and incentivise staff? Lots. I've been managing the branch for just five weeks and we've already made a huge step change in service and availability thanks to the flexibility I was given from the start. Knowing it's possible to make positive changes fast has really boosted the atmosphere. While great principles start at head office, having a team with the right attitude is something that has to be fostered by individual managers.
Do you plan to make any changes to the store? The branch had a major refit about eight months ago, which resolved a number of areas that needed improving, so I think we're in pretty good shape. Our world food aisle now has a broader range of products from a greater number of destinations and we've added an additional four bays to our free-from food offering.
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