Store: Tesco Extra Pitsea, Basildon
Store manager: Jason Finch
Size: 120,000 sq ft
Opened: 1978
Market share: 19%
Nearest rivals: Aldi - 0.7 miles, Lidl - 0.9 miles, Sainsbury’s - 2.9 miles, Morrisons - 5.4 miles
Store data source: Analysis by CACI. Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000
What is it like running such a historic store? It’s the largest store in the company. It was the first Extra and it was the last store that Jack Cohen visited so it’s a real honour, especially in the 100th anniversary year. I’ve got 7,600 colleagues and a 29-van dotcom operation and we have 700,000 transactions every week.
Kantar suggests people have been holding back on biscuits and mince pies. How about the people of Pitsea? You wouldn’t say that if you looked at my car park. It’s rammed and the shop has been bursting for weeks.
What are your favourite Christmas offers? I would go for the tins of Tesco shortbread, which is lovely. Or the slabs of beer, £10 for 24 cans, which is a really great deal. Another good one is a litre of Jack Daniel’s at £20. And we’ve had a 25% off Christmas jumpers deal too, so of course that.
How did Black Friday go? We sold nearly 30 pallets of TVs over the space of three days. It might not be quite as big as it used to be, but that’s pretty good going.
How have sales on your Booker section been going? They have been going well. Bulk buys like 30-packs of Pepsi and big 30-packs of toilet rolls. It’s big among monthly shoppers and also local businesses.
What’s the latest addition to the store? We’ve just had a barber shop put in. We now have a ladies’ hairdresser and a barber and they have been doing well.
You have a massive online operation. How big is that over Christmas? We cover right out as far as Foulness Island so it’s a very big area. It’s a fantastic growth area for us and customers love the convenience of shopping online at Christmas.
What is the key to winning Christmas? I’ve got a fantastic team and the main thing I stress to them is that the service must be warm and friendly. It’s all about service and making sure the customer leaves with a smile on their face.
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