Winner: Waitrose Comely Bank, Edinburgh
Deputy store manager: Rachel Moir
Opened: 2006
Size: 25,000 sq ft
Market share: 4.1%
Nearest rivals: Sainsbury’s - 0.8 miles, Tesco - 0.9 miles, Morrisons - 1.6 miles
Store data source: Analysis by CACI. Call the market planning group on 020 7602 6000
How long have you worked at the store and what is its history? I joined Waitrose on the graduate scheme in 2010 and worked at a couple of branches before coming here in October 2011. The store itself used to be a Safeway and was one of the first Waitrose branches in Scotland. We’ve just celebrated our seventh birthday - with Waitrose cake, of course.
What’s been selling well? Obviously with the fantastic weekend weather, barbecue, soft fruit and ice cream have all sold well. It isn’t hot very often in Scotland, so when it is everyone goes mad! Some of the new products at our patisserie counter - the new cupcakes and giant biscuits - have also been very popular.
How does Waitrose differ north of the border? We have a lot of local lines - including all the usual suspects like oatcakes, shortbread, Irn-Bru, Scottish porridge oats and malt whisky - but also some less traditional, but equally good locally made products such as Simply Add Chili - a hot dip.
What is new to the store? We have a new flower and horticulture stand at the front of the store and we’ll soon have a coffee stand and a new welcome desk. We’ll also soon be doing click & collect so customers can pick up John Lewis products, and we’re opening up more slots for online shopping.
What difference will the new distribution centre in Leyland, Lancashire, make? It currently takes eight hours to ship product to store. It will halve with the opening of Leyland.
What do you think has made Waitrose so successful of late? It’s absolutely the partners and the buy-in that they have as owners of the business. And there is also the fact that we’re changing quickly and keeping up with trends such as all the new products we’ve launched, the Brand Price Match and the MyWaitrose card - lots of customers are now using that.
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