Sainsbury’s Chesterfield Superstore: Grocer 33 store of the week

This is your second G33 win, but in a different store. Tell us more? My previous one was in September 2020, so in the height of the pandemic. It was a really different visit and there was a sense that it was all about colleagues and customers feeling safe, being able to make one journey, get everything they wanted and get out safely. I’ve been at this store about 20 months, and this time there is much more of a normal feel. This is a much bigger store, we also have home & clothing as well as Argos, so it’s a real destination shop. But we still strive for the same things, and for customers to have a bit of fun and feel looked after while they’re in the store.

What learnings have you brought from your previous win? I’m extremely passionate about keeping consistency across the business so that it doesn’t matter what store you go to, you get the same results, same availability and customer service. This store is a lot bigger and now has an online aspect to it as well, which is a big part of the business here. Availability needs to be seamless both in store and online. We’re open 7am-11pm, but actually we’re open longer because you can order whenever you want online. So it’s about making sure you can get everything you need no matter the time.

How do you maintain high standards in a post-Covid world? For me, I always strive to be better. It’s about really engaging with the team and rewarding them through recognition, not just with a good rate of pay but also with a good old-fashioned thank you. We want customers to be able to come in and see the store is clean, there’s no cardboard, the shelves are neat. Different stores will have different operating models – I run a full night shift here, so the only day replenishment we’re doing is for the things that sell faster. We have a very simple service-level agreement of how we should be restocking to not get in customers’ way, and we’re always looking at ways to be as productive as possible.

How have shopper habits changed lately? During Covid we started seeing a real increase in people using SmartShop. It’s now become a normal shopping habit. They know how simple it is, and obviously with the cost of living it allows people to see how much they’re spending and balance their spending as they shop. That also ties nicely with Nectar, so if you use SmartShop you get our Nectar Prices too.

You’re surrounded by competitors. How do you keep and attract customers? Yes, there’s a Tesco and Morrisons nearby, as well as Asda Home and others in the town centre. We have a mixture of shopping environments, so there’s plenty of choice for our customers. We have a mainly elderly shopping base, but a wide range of people coming in. People choose to shop with us for locality, price of fuel, and all the services we offer. We have also invested in value and our Aldi Price Match campaign caters for the everyday essentials to help shoppers manage their budgets.

What will Pride celebrations look like for you? We’ve got loads going on with Pride month – we’re very passionate about being an inclusive and diverse business. We’ll be advertising the Pride event in Chesterfield, and a number of colleagues are going to that.