Asda Dundee West: store of the week

How is your store following the restructure? The restructure was a very tense and quite emotional time. And my job as a GSM is now completely different - I’ve never had to do so much coaching in such a short space of time. But I think winning the Grocer 33 is testament to the hard work that has been put in by the new section leaders - they’ve done a fantastic job. 

How has Asda’s biggest ever rollback been received in your store? Because our store’s footfall has been growing over the last six months anyway it’s hard to say if the new prices are attracting more shoppers, but customers are definitely aware of the savings. I overhear shoppers saying, “Wow, it’s so much cheaper than Tesco.” 

How have the latest petrol price cuts affected your filling station? Shoppers know Asda will be first to drop the petrol price and then others will follow suit, so it helps us build trust with our customers. 

You’ve only been open a year - how have you fit into the area? Mel, our Community Life ­colleague, is really important. She’s out there volunteering and fundraising for soup kitchens, playgroups and all kinds of local organisations. And she’s encouraging groups to use our facilities. We have training rooms and interview rooms, so why wouldn’t we share them with groups that could really do with a meeting place? This has helped put our store at the heart of the community.

How was Christmas in your store? Our section leaders did a really great job. We kept a good amount of stock available and had no major issues with any suppliers throughout.

How do you think you secured first place this week? By keeping a tidy shopfloor. If it’s messy, it looks like you’re not on top in general, so “clean” is a good first impression. I also encourage colleagues to show their personality when ­serving customers - shoppers don’t want robotic staff.