Sainsbury's in Linlithgow boasted not only the strongest availability of this week’s retailers, but also impressive customer service, earning it our top store award.
The store was immaculate and plenty of tills were open. An assistant even fetched the tomatoes for our shopper and also apologised for not stocking the fromage frais in the size required. The checkout assistant was chatty and polite and offered our shopper a Red Nose Day bag for life.
There were two out-of-stock items at Waitrose in Paddock Wood, but the other products were easy to find in the quiet store. The queues were short, but our shopper had to ask for more carrier bags.
Asda’s Slough branch also had two out-of-stock items. Customer service was good and a helpful assistant went to two locations to locate the sun-dried tomatoes. However, there was a mistake on the receipt, where our shopper was charged for the wrong apples.
Although staff were helpful at Morrisons in Bishopbriggs, three items were out of stock. The checkout assistant was very polite, however, the queues were short and it was easy to park.
Availability disappointed at Tesco in Stowmarket, with four out-of-stock items. The store was congested and shelf-stacking trolleys got in our shopper’s way. All the tills were open, though, and the checkout assistant offered to pack.
Winner: George Paton, store manager, Sainsbury's Linlithgow
What products are selling particularly well at the moment? The Switch and Save campaign has proved really effective and as a result all areas of our Basics range are doing really well. We expanded the number of Basics lines we offer just after Christmas and there is a lot more choice now - customers really like the fresh produce we offer, such as sprouts and tomatoes.
Do you have plans to expand your non-food offer? Non-food only represents 5% of our stock at the moment. We have plans to stock more within the next six months to a year, although nothing has been finalised yet. We want to offer more general merchandise such as microwaves, televisions and cookware products. I would like to have a bigger store and be able to stock clothing, too.
How much did your store raise for Comic Relief? We raised £4,000 in total. It was a tremendous day - we held a talent competition for six local schools, where each had two acts to perform on a stage in the car park. I was one of the judges and had to be Simon Cowell for the day. We also held sponsored walks.
How much freedom does your head office give you? Although we follow company guidelines, we can choose what we want to do when it comes to local community events. For Mother's Day, we held a competition where children wrote letters explaining why their mum was the best. We then picked a winner, who received a teddy bear, a box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers.
What are your everyday management challenges? To ensure the store continues to run smoothly and efficiently. Customer service and availability are crucial. It doesn't matter what day or time it is, we want all items to be available to our customers when they want them. I motivate staff by talking to the team. It's so important to inform staff of everything that is going on in the store. We also have incentives for each department. If they work particularly hard they are praised or rewarded. In the past departments have been praised for achieving strong sales and being creative by using sampling as a sales technique.
The store was immaculate and plenty of tills were open. An assistant even fetched the tomatoes for our shopper and also apologised for not stocking the fromage frais in the size required. The checkout assistant was chatty and polite and offered our shopper a Red Nose Day bag for life.
There were two out-of-stock items at Waitrose in Paddock Wood, but the other products were easy to find in the quiet store. The queues were short, but our shopper had to ask for more carrier bags.
Asda’s Slough branch also had two out-of-stock items. Customer service was good and a helpful assistant went to two locations to locate the sun-dried tomatoes. However, there was a mistake on the receipt, where our shopper was charged for the wrong apples.
Although staff were helpful at Morrisons in Bishopbriggs, three items were out of stock. The checkout assistant was very polite, however, the queues were short and it was easy to park.
Availability disappointed at Tesco in Stowmarket, with four out-of-stock items. The store was congested and shelf-stacking trolleys got in our shopper’s way. All the tills were open, though, and the checkout assistant offered to pack.
Winner: George Paton, store manager, Sainsbury's Linlithgow
What products are selling particularly well at the moment? The Switch and Save campaign has proved really effective and as a result all areas of our Basics range are doing really well. We expanded the number of Basics lines we offer just after Christmas and there is a lot more choice now - customers really like the fresh produce we offer, such as sprouts and tomatoes.
Do you have plans to expand your non-food offer? Non-food only represents 5% of our stock at the moment. We have plans to stock more within the next six months to a year, although nothing has been finalised yet. We want to offer more general merchandise such as microwaves, televisions and cookware products. I would like to have a bigger store and be able to stock clothing, too.
How much did your store raise for Comic Relief? We raised £4,000 in total. It was a tremendous day - we held a talent competition for six local schools, where each had two acts to perform on a stage in the car park. I was one of the judges and had to be Simon Cowell for the day. We also held sponsored walks.
How much freedom does your head office give you? Although we follow company guidelines, we can choose what we want to do when it comes to local community events. For Mother's Day, we held a competition where children wrote letters explaining why their mum was the best. We then picked a winner, who received a teddy bear, a box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers.
What are your everyday management challenges? To ensure the store continues to run smoothly and efficiently. Customer service and availability are crucial. It doesn't matter what day or time it is, we want all items to be available to our customers when they want them. I motivate staff by talking to the team. It's so important to inform staff of everything that is going on in the store. We also have incentives for each department. If they work particularly hard they are praised or rewarded. In the past departments have been praised for achieving strong sales and being creative by using sampling as a sales technique.
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