Winner: Tesco Amersham
Store manager: Mark Hudson
Opened: 1991
Size: 50.000 sq ft
Market share: 27.9%
Waitrose - 0.8 miles
Sainsbury’s - 2.8 miles
Morrisons - 6.5 miles
Store data source: Analysis by CACI. Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000
Congratulations on winning the Grocer 33 store of the week for the second time. What’s your secret? The magic ingredients are the same: a focus on availability and customer service.
What’s the biggest change since the last win in 2009? I think the biggest thing has been the increased importance of price for customers. They are much more astute and it’s very important that we get our offer right, which is why I’m very pleased about the launch of Price Promise.
How has Price Promise gone down with customers?It’s landed really well and I think it gives us a much clearer proposition on price. We’ve had really good feedback from customers who appreciate the transparency of us telling them when we are cheaper or where their shop would have been cheaper elsewhere. It’s a very big shift in emphasis for us.
Our mystery shopper got a voucher for £3.48. Is there a worry it sends out a signal others are cheaper? No, I think customers appreciate the openness and equally I’ve seen customers with very big shops and it has turned out we are the cheapest.
How do you make sure service doesn’t slip?Customer service is absolutely vital and we work continually to make sure standards aren’t allowed to slip.
Amersham is used as a trial store by Tesco. What else have you tried recently? We were one of the first to trial Scan as you Go two-and-a-half years ago. It’s going really well and we’ve expanded the area at the front of store to accommodate all the people using it.
How is trade leading up to Easter shaping up?Easter is the first big event of the year and it’s looking really good. Sales of eggs and confectionery are phenomenal and there seems to be a wider range of Easter confectionery available as well as a cut in the amount of packaging.
What has been your biggest recent achievement as store manager? I’m really proud that last year the store raised £6,500 for Cancer Research.
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