Tesco, Genesis Way, Consett: Grocer 33 store of the week

You must be one the newest Tesco Extras, what advantages does that bring? We were the last new Extra in the North East. We’ve got all the latest layouts, the new-style F&F, optician, a phone shop etc. The store still looks brand new.

The store replaced a much smaller Tesco. What did that mean for the locals? There was quite a buzz. It was a massive change for the local customers with a much bigger range.

Were you still affected by Project Reset? Yes. We’ve had massive range resets across the store. I’m very pleased with the way it’s been delivered to keep disruption to a minimum.

You recently scrapped 24-hour trading; how did that go down with staff and customers? Our latest Viewpoint staff survey is better than last year. Obviously, there’s been a lot of upheaval for staff and we lost a few guys to redundancy, but we retain 60%-70% of our nightshift who have moved to twilight hours. As for customers, we have not had a single complaint.

How do you avoid chaos in the aisles with twilight filling? We have a clear floor policy and cage locations built into the shelves so aisles don’t get blocked. It’s been a case of using a few new methods.

How much did staff take notice of the accounting scandal and this week’s £129m fine? The staff see this as their shop and they do take notice of all that is going on in the background.

Has your store been doing more to promote healthy food? There’s a lot less confectionery and a lot more healthy products. Recently we’ve been selling apples for 50p and giving free fruit to kids.

What do you make of the plans for a new improved Aldi nearby? I think it will be a big benefit to the community. We are quite community-orientated here so it’s not just about more competition. We have a community room in our store and it’s booked out every week.