Winner: Morrisons Deans, Livingston
Store manager: Paul Callaghan
Opened: 1982
Size: 17,000 sq ft
Market share: 13%
Nearest rivals: Tesco – 0.5 miles, Asda – 2.8 miles, Tesco – 5 miles, Sainsbury’s – 14.6 miles
Store data source: Analysis by CACI.
Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000
How has being in level four of the Scottish Covid-19 restrictions changed what customers are buying? I’m seeing customers trading up a bit more since the rules came into force a couple of weeks ago. With restaurants being closed, a lot of people are going for large joints of meat or whole fish from our service counters to treat themselves. I think it’s because people want to make their meals more exciting at home, as they’re missing going out to eat. Equally, many customers are really short of cash right now, so our value ranges and offers need to be strong as well.
How is the store helping the community through the pandemic? Every week the store donates to food banks and when the outbreak first happened, we offered free doorstep deliveries to our elderly and vulnerable customers. They could call our community champion directly to make an order, which was especially convenient for those sheltering, and it struck up great relationships between the team and customers. We’ve also linked up with the local primary school and supply food to create lunches every weekend for those who are struggling – the students and their families. For Christmas, the team came up with the idea of providing a festive lunch for some of the school’s families. We’ve now identified 10 families who are most in need of help, and two members of staff have already volunteered to deliver the food packages.
Is the click & collect service popular? Yes, it’s been well-used since we introduced it in March. We’ve already seen a big upturn in people ordering Christmas food, so I expect many of those customers will use click & collect for that in the weeks to come. Adding the service also allowed us to hire about 30 people on a temporary basis, and I’m pleased to say 28 of those have been kept on permanently. Many came from restaurants and the hospitality sector, and had lost their jobs through Covid-19. The couple of team members who aren’t with us any more actually returned to former jobs that had opened up again. It’s great to know the store has created some jobs in the local area, as this is such a tough time for everyone.
How important is availability right now? It’s key. Customers want to get everything they need in one store, and don’t want to potentially increase their chances of exposure to Covid-19 by going to multiple places, or go without. Especially for Christmas shopping, people just don’t want to waste time.
What have customers said about the store’s standards? We’ve had lots of positive feedback on how safe they feel in the store and the efforts staff put in to ensure hygiene standards are excellent. The team are always very quick to adhere to new government guidelines and maintain customer confidence, such as through their increased frequency of cleaning. Safe colleagues, safe customers and a safe environment is our focus, from a shopper’s first impression to the checkout. It’s the least people can expect in the current circumstances.
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