Store of the week: Sainsbury's Longstone, Edinburgh

You opened in August. How has the store settled into the community since opening? Phenomenally well. Sainsbury’s is in Edinburgh already, but we treated the opening as if we were coming to the area for the first time. We met community groups, local schools and MSPs because we didn’t just want to be a company that donated money and then did nothing else. We work very closely with our local food bank, too.

Who did you hire? I’ve got 220 colleagues and 190 had never worked in retail before, which makes this win all the more rewarding. Around 15 were taken on through Remploy and 19 were recruited following interviews with school leavers at local schools.

What training were they given? Before opening, they were trained in other Sainsbury’s stores in the area. My counter staff were all trained at Sainsbury’s food college in Murrayfield. My colleagues working on the butchery and fish counters had never done that before, and only one of my six bakers had ever baked bread before, so whatever happens in their career, Sainsbury’s has given them new skills.

How does your store differ from other Sainsbury’s stores? We’re one of only three or four Sainsbury’s stores that is on stilts. The car park has been built below the store and is accessed via travelator or lift.

How is Christmas shaping up? We are well set up for Christmas. All the decorations are up and I’ve had lots of positive communication from shoppers about Sainsbury’s Christmas ad. Customers have been telling me how real it all seems, so I have to tell them it actually is real!

What festive products are selling well so far? Gifting last weekend did really well. Decorations are also doing well. We had a display and demonstration at the weekend providing ideas on how to decorate the tree and set the table.