Winner: Sainsbury’s Longwater, Norwich
Manager: Mike Green
Opened: 1997
Size: 84,000 sq ft
Market share: 27.2%
Nearest rivals: Asda - 3.2 miles, Waitrose - 4.1 miles, Tesco - 5.5 miles, Morrisons - 5.5 miles
Store data source: Analysis by CACI. Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000

 

Sainsbury’s is on a roll. Why do you think your store won? We’ve got a fantastic offer and fantastic colleagues. A lot of our colleagues have worked at Sainsbury’s for a long time so really know their jobs and go out and deliver great service to our customers. They are a huge part of our success.

What kind of customers does your store serve? As the store is so big, it’s a real destination, and customers can travel long distances and spend up to half a day in the store looking through the non-food ranges, eating a meal in the café and doing their grocery shop. But it’s a mix of shoppers from all demographics.

You’ve only been store manager at this store for four weeks.Have you made any changes since arriving? Because it’s so near Christmas, it’s simply been a case of coming in, assessing where the store is and what’s going on. There have been a few tweaks here and there, so the department and deputy managers know how I want the store to run, but at this time it’s more important to get through the Christmas period and the January sales and then look at the opportunities for next year.

What are your predictions for Christmas? I think our customers will trade up. They’ve definitely been saving up for special occasions. Taste the Difference will do well. I think we’ll have a good Christmas.

Are customers Christmas shopping yet? Gifting and confectionery are starting to pick up and fresh foods such as cheeses will be introduced into the store this week.

Have you had any feedback on Sainsbury’s Christmas campaign? Yes, and it has been very positive. Customers think it’s a great idea to have a whole series of different adverts that focus on the build-up to Christmas rather than just the day itself. The ranges and the products we’re showcasing in the ads are popular too.

Topics