Retailers faced mounting pressure last week to keep on top of availability as the big freeze prompted panic buying. They all performed well, but only Asda in Slough could boast no out-of-stock items.

Staff were busy replenishing the shelves but stopped what they were doing to help our shopper locate several items. All the tills were open and the friendly checkout assistant greeted our shopper, checked she had enough bags, then offered to pack.

Sainsbury’s in Gorseinon would have been a candidate for the top spot had it not been for one out-of-stock. It had a short queue and our shopper was impressed with a cheerful assistant who recommended own-label bread to her.

At Waitrose in Blaby there were plenty of approachable staff around the aisles, who checked out the back for several items, offered alternatives, then asked our shopper if she needed any more help.

There was a discrepancy between the shelf and receipt price of the Frijj milkshake at Morrisons in Hyde, which also had one out of stock. But the store was clean and our shopper described the checkout assistant as “a lovely lady”.

A long queue as well as a “filthy and very wet” shop floor let Tesco in Banbury down. There were signs warning customers, but our shopper did not see any staff attempt to clean it up. Staff were very helpful, however, and the checkout assistant was polite.


Winner: Nathan Newark, store manager, Asda, Slough
What impact has the snow had on your store?Despite the poor weather, the store has performed well. We did have a couple of days where we had to cancel online deliveries and we have reduced the number of slots we offer until the weather clears up. But our drivers have done the best they can two even had to be towed out of the snow. A lot of shoppers have been flocking in between the late mornings and early evenings.

There was a break in the weather on Saturday and many stocked up on canned vegetables and soups. The staff have done a great job at getting to work and our car park has been regularly gritted. Our store deliveries have not particularly suffered, partly because of our accessible location.

How has Extra Special fared since its packaging revamp? It was a fantastic relaunch and the packaging really stands out on the shelf. Customers have told us they really notice the products our party and pudding products did particularly well over the Christmas period.

What changes have you made to the store since you joined? I joined the store 10 months ago from Hounslow. One of the main improvements I have made is to empty the warehouse as much as possible. As a result, we have more stock on the shop floor and our availability has improved by 1% to 2%. The products in the warehouse are easier to find too, so it speeds up the replenishing process as they are easier to get out.

If you could change one thing about your store, what would it be? I would like to see additional checkouts to cope with particularly busy periods such as Christmas and when it snows. We have seen queues that have been up to 20 people deep, even when all the tills were open. This is because the store has grown so much during the last year. We will need to adapt to the large numbers if we want to continue to grow.

Who is your closest competitor? Tesco. It is larger and offers a bigger range but we fare well given the circumstances. We both have a Polish counter because there are a lot of Polish people living in the area. Ours is very popular and offers items such as yoghurts, gherkins, sliced meat, pasta and cheeses.

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