Winner: Asda Yeovil

Store manager: Howard Stacey

Opened: 1999

Size: 40,000 sq

Nearest rivals:

Morrisons: 0.5 miles

Tesco: 1 mile

Store data source: Analysis by CACI. Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000

How do you feel about winning? You have won once before with another supermarket. I’m absolutely over the moon for the store and the staff . And yes, I won ‘store of the week’ about six years ago when I was at Morrisons so it’s brilliant to win again. It’s all down to having fantastic colleagues who are well trained and focused.

With Tesco and Morrisons nearby, how do you handle the competition? We strive to be the best store in town. I’m passionate about customer service and so spend a lot of time on the shop floor. To keep up high standards, we have an outside company come in to do two mystery shops a month and Asda staff in the region visit each other’s stores every week to observe colleagues and feed back to store managers. We also work hard on cleanliness, availability and customer experience.

What has been selling well of late? Our Easter range is now all in the store and we’re pleased with initial sales. We’ve also gone in earlier than last year with summer, barbecue and gardening products. So far sales are up 30%, helped by the recent warm weather. Other top sellers include our Chosen by You own label range and Butcher’s Selection meats.

Supermarkets have been struggling with non-food. As a big store with a significant non-food section, how have you been coping? We have reviewed the space available for different categories. We’ve given more space over to music, games and videos and changed what we stock in the homeware section. Non-food is selling a lot better as a result.

Are you working on any new initiatives in store? We’re launching a new community project at the end of the month. We will be giving away money to three local charities chosen by customers and allowing local businesses, schools, charities and community groups to book space in store for events. A colleague will act as a community life champion to co-ordinate everything.

Howard Stacey was talking to Guy Montague-Jones 

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